PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE 2014 CONVENTION

PRESIDENT’S REPORT TO THE 2014 CONVENTION

This is the first time that I have had the honour of presenting a President’s Report to our National Triennial Convention.  This report will cover the Stewardship of the Office of President for the last three years.

Under the By-Laws of UTE, specifically By-Law 10, the duties outlined for the Office of President are as follows:

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1- President

The President shall:

  1. represent UTE on the National Board of Directors of the PSAC as required by the Constitution;

  2. (a) uphold the Constitution of the PSAC and the By-Laws of UTE; 
    (b)   preside at all meetings and Conventions; 
    (c)  be an ex‑officio member of all Committees; 
    (d) perform all duties that are incidental to the office of President; 

  3. be responsible to the Executive Committee, to the Executive Council and to the Convention; 

  4. make written reports on the administration of the office and on the affairs of UTE to each regular meeting of the Executive Council and to each Convention;

  5. be responsible for the administrative management, control and allocation of staff in the National Office;

  6. be responsible for the receipt and keeping of all monies of UTE along with their disbursement under the direction of the Executive Council;

  7. ensure that notices and agendas of each Executive Council, Executive Committee meeting, Presidents' Conference and Convention are prepared and circulated in advance;

  8. be responsible for the minutes of all meetings of the Executive Council, Executive Committee and Presidents' Conferences and will countersign them along with the first Vice-President;

  9. be responsible for the preparation of a complete record of any Convention;

  10. ensure that copies of minutes of the Executive Council or Executive Committee meetings are sent to each Local within four (4) weeks and ensure that the record of any Convention is sent to each Local within four (4) months;

  11. ensure that the National Office provides services in both official languages;

  12. ensure that UTE directives, policies and procedures are updated and subsequently forwarded to Locals; and

  13. discharge all duties and obligations imposed upon them by Convention and/or the Executive Council.

Although the Office of the President is directed by the specific duties listed in our By-Laws, direction and/or guidance is also received from the Supreme Governing Body of our Organization, our Triennial Convention; the Executive Council; the Executive Committee; Presidents’ Conferences; Locals and UTE members.

I have tabled written reports at each of the scheduled Executive Council meetings since the last convention, which were published with the minutes of the meetings. 

It has been a busy three years for the membership, local executives and stewards; as well as for the national executive.  Much of the work of our national officers and local executives has kept them occupied almost full time.  Our employer has kept us busy and active, and our membership demands the excellent representation that they have come to expect from their Union, the Union of Taxation Employees.

I would like to formally thank the membership for their support of their Union. It must be stated clearly that without the membership, we could not accomplish anything.  Our membership has shown repeatedly their commitment to achieving what is important to them.  Their support in our endeavors directly affects the outcome of our efforts.  This is true while we are at the negotiating table, where we have been for over a year and a half, and which has generated many activities and meetings. It is also true during our consultations with the CRA management at all levels, or in the attendance at our meetings in general.  We must always make sure that our membership is engaged in their Union.

The local executives and stewards deserve recognition as they are the front line of the Union for the membership.  They are the ones who listen to members, represent them at the initial stages, deliver the Union message and conduct the votes and campaigns.  Their work is invaluable to the organization.  The success of activism at the local level can, for the most part, be attributed to the local executives and stewards.  I know that, at times, it feels like a thankless job but dedication, caring, drive and perseverance always keeps us going.  The CRA recognizes that we are not a Union to be taken for granted. 

I want to thank the members of the Executive Council.  They are all opinionated, passionate and very vocal, to say the least.  However, for the past three years I can say that we have worked together as a unit, regardless of differences of opinion.  We experienced a change in the personnel on the National Executive which brought a different dynamic to the table.  Nonetheless, focus, resolve, and dedication remained as the foundation for their efforts.

Finally, I would also like to thank the National Office staff for their contribution to the Union of Taxation Employees.  Their daily work and their efforts with the National Committees remain exemplary. We had departures from our staff this year. Sister Linda Cassidy and Brother Pierre Mulvihill took new positions with the PSAC and I thank them for their services and wish them well. I would like to thank Sister Nicole St-Aubin and wish her well on her retirement. She, too, is missed in the office. We suffered a great loss with the passing of Sister Carmen Armstrong. Her laugh and love of life is missed every day. We welcome Sister Louise Dorion as our new receptionist, and Sister Roxane Gunning, as a new Labour Relations Officer.

The PSAC Convention was quite eventful. Two members of UTE were elected to the PSAC National Office, Sister Robyn Benson, as the National President and Brother Chris Aylward, as the National Executive Vice President. On behalf of UTE and all of our members, I would like to take this time to congratulate them both. We know that they will both always work for the benefit of all the members of the PSAC. The departure of Brother Aylward as UTE 1st Vice President, necessitated an election for a new 1st Vice President for UTE. Following established rules, we conducted our very first electronic election, which proved to expedite a normally lengthy process. We then welcomed Brother Marc Brière as our new 1st Vice President.

I would now like to look back on some of the major issues that we have faced since our last Convention: 

Negotiations:

We started Negotiations in July of 2012 with the exchanging of demands. We have been trying to reach an agreement with CRA since that time.

BILL C-45:

On October 18, 2012, the Conservative Government presented its Omnibus Budget Bill in the House of Commons. Buried at the end of this lengthy Bill was an amendment that saw collective bargaining between PSAC-UTE and the CRA returned to the control and mandate of the Treasury Board. UTE was not consulted or even advised of this direction. We issued Bulletin 18/12 on October 19th to advise the membership. I also took an opportunity to discuss this development with both the NDP and Liberal opposition Labour Critics shortly thereafter to bring this to their attention and garner their support in opposition to this Bill. On November 7th the Political Action Committee issued Bulletin 21/12, instructing members to send the covers of their collective agreements to the chair of The Treasury Board, Tony Clement, to demonstrate their opposition to this regressive development.

The Bargaining Team members have tried to negotiate with CRA but to no avail and we are now, at the time of writing of this report, waiting for the dates for the Public Interest Commission.  A great big thank you must be extended to all of the Bargaining Team members for their time and efforts to date; as well heartfelt thank you is extended to local members for their support.

Finances:

I fully support the changes that have been introduced over the last three years to better manage spending and our assets.  We need to continue to manage our funds, control our spending, account for our expenses and plan for the future.  We should always be looking 4 or 5 years ahead.

The state of the PSAC’s finances is also very important to UTE members.  Effective financial control and monitoring within the PSAC has been one of the issues that UTE delegates demand at every PSAC Convention.  This is necessary if UTE members are to get value for their dues.  That’s why I stood for election to the PSAC National Board of Director’s Standing Finance Committee and why I have been actively involved in its work over the last three years.

In 2012 I was also elected to sit on the PSAC Holdings Board of Directors.  PSAC Holdings is a separate operating entity that owns and/or operates the largest PSAC asset, the building at 233 Gilmour, as well as its Regional Offices.  The Alliance Headquarters Building has been going through major renovations for quite some time and continues as we meet.

Communications:

I know that we have continued to improve our communications with the membership over the last three years.  The following are some of our activities in this regard:

  • The invaluable work of our Communications Committee
  • The UTE Newsletter
  • The  “subscribe” system on our website
  • The timely updating of our website
  • The continued updating and distribution of our publications
  • The continued training aspect of our Presidents’ Conferences
  • The UTE training courses and issue-specific sessions that are conducted either nationally or regionally
  • The updating of our computer and technology needs
  • The reporting of the work of all of our Committees
  • Our Regional and National Conferences

PSAC National Board of Directors:

As National President of the Union of Taxation Employees, I am a member of the National Board of Directors of the Alliance, where I represent the interests of our members.  I serve on two of the Alliance’s NBOD Standing Committees, the Finance Committee and the Discipline Committee.  I am also a member of the interim Structure, Roles and Responsibilities Special Committee.  The work on the latter committee has been tediously slow over the last three years.

The Board meets three times a year and I have presented various resolutions on behalf of our Executive Council and our members.  Most of these have been adopted.  On issues that came from other Components, Committees, or the Alliance Executive Committee, I have voted in accordance with UTE policies and in the best interest of our members.  Brother Marc Brière is always present at the meetings, providing not only input and counsel, but also providing an additional set of eyes and ears so that nothing is missed. 

There are times when I feel like a lone wolf at these sessions and I often struggle with the resultant decisions, but you should rest assured that I have always voted with the UTE membership in mind.

UTE Committees:

The committees have been extremely active in pursuing their mandates and reporting to the membership through their minutes or Executive Council Reports.  Bulletins and/or memoranda have always been issued in a timely fashion to, and for the benefit of, the UTE membership. The Committees all work toward improving, not only their respective product, but also strive to communicate results and collect necessary input more effectively.  Most of the committees work autonomously, with the Committee Chairpersons keeping the National President informed of their progress. 

Executive Council Activities:

The following is a list of some of the items that the Council has dealt with over the last three years:

  • Numerous donations and sponsorships
  • Increased the list of approved Non-UTE Events
  • Dealt with the unfinished business from the last Convention
  • Adopted the Committee assignments
  • Continued to support the International Children’s Awareness organization both financially and by sending volunteers to work with Major Smith each year (one fully funded student and one subsidized member) and also approved an additional donation to ICA if UTE does not receive a qualified applicant for a student and/or member in any given year
  • Maintained  UTE Resolutions of Record
  • Investigated the feasibility of establishing a UTE Blog or Chat forum
  • Created two new locals: the Ottawa East Local and the Calgary Call Centre local
  • Reallocated and/or approved overspending on budget line items, as required.
  • Adopted several recommendations from the Honours and Awards Committee to present various Awards
  • Adopted proposed changes to the By-Laws and Regulations to submit to this Convention
  • Met with the CRA Management at the Regional and National levels on a variety of topics

Health and Safety:

The UTE Standing Committee on Safety and Health held a National Conference from October 18 to 21, 2012 in Ottawa. The committee worked very hard and produced a conference that was both very informative and also provided participants with a vast amount of information valuable for their own workplace committees. My thanks for a job well done.

Honours and Awards:

UTE created a new award to recognize outstanding work in the field of Health & Safety, the AWARD OF MERIT IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH AND SAFETY - ELIZABETH (BETTY) BANNON,  (Sister Bannon was presented a plaque to commemorate her efforts in the field of Health & Safety). The first recipient of this award was Sister Debbie Ferguson. 

Regional Mental Health Conferences:

As directed by the last convention, UTE held three regional Mental Health Conferences.  The feedback received indicates that these conferences were well received. The attendees stated that they learned a great deal and found the conferences very helpful. I thank all participants, facilitators and guest speakers for their involvement in making these conferences a success.

Equity:

The Equal Opportunities National Conference was held on October 18 to 20, 2013 In Ottawa. From the evaluations that were received, it was a great success. There were 112 delegates and 27 observers that attended the event.

The organizers should be very proud.  To my knowledge, the UTE is one of the first components to provide such conferences for their membership.  Every member is welcome and there is no one who does not learn, teach, or share something at these conferences.  We are an inclusive union that attempts to educate the membership on all issues.  The Union is a party to equity and equity is a part of our Union.

Conclusion:

As a member of Council, I have had the opportunity to work with a group of very dedicated people and for that I thank them all. While the nature and responsibilities of our work are sometimes controversial, we have remained a cohesive and respectful group, always working in the best interests of the membership.

This is a time when our locals must be the strongest they can be. We must be open and proactive leaders and most importantly, we must encourage and allow membership involvement.  The local executives, with the help of their membership, are the key to our success. They must become part of the solution. 

I am a Maritimer. I grew up amid the centuries-old fishing industry and the seafaring tradition. I have been influenced by the wisdom of world-worn fishermen and sailors. I want to share with you what I believe are the most important life lessons that I have learned from them:

  • Don’t miss the boat.
  • Don’t forget that we are all in the same boat.
  • Plan ahead. Sometimes the storm comes after we’ve set sail.
  • Don’t listen to critics; just get on with what has to be done.
  • Build your future on high ground.
  • The strongest and safest crews consist of more than one person.
  • Speed isn’t always an advantage.
  • When you’re stressed, float awhile.
  • Many a strong, seaworthy craft has been built by amateurs. The Titanic was built by professionals.
  • A mutiny within can be a greater threat than a storm outside.

I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank Sister Pierrette Labrie, Sister Annette Melanson, and Brother Shane O’Brien for their many contributions and continued support over the past three years. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
This has been a broad overview of some of the work that I have been involved in over the last three years. It has been my true pleasure working for the benefit of UTE and its members and I hope to continue to do so for three more years. Being a member of UTE is both an honour and a privilege. Thank you all for giving me this great opportunity and immense honour to represent you as the UTE National President.

To conclude, I will quote Abraham Lincoln:

“The strongest bond of human sympathy, outside of the family relation, should be one uniting working people, of all nations, and tongues, and kindreds.

Respectfully submitted and in solidarity,

 

Robert Campbell
National President