On January 6, PSAC-UTE's bargaining team presented proposed contract improvements for Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) members at a Public Interest Commission (PIC) hearing. The team made the case for:
- A fair compensation package. Our last contract expired on October 31, 2016 and our last wage increase occurred in November 2015 – well over three years ago. We deserve reasonable wage increases that, at minimum, keep up with the increasing cost of living.
- Better working conditions for call centre workers. We are pushing for improved working conditions in call centres, including more rest breaks and more reasonable, reduced monitoring of employees by management.
- Improved scheduling rights. We want to limit evening and restrict weekend work, and have management recognize years of service when there is evening and weekend work.
- Improved work-life balance. It has been far too long since we have seen an increase in paid leave in our collective agreement. The government needs to put its money where its mouth is when it comes to improving work-life balance at CRA. And the time has come for the Agency to show that its ‘People First’ philosophy is more than just a slogan.
PSAC-UTE also continues to push the CRA for more indeterminate employment opportunities for term workers, improved protections against layoffs, and an overall reduction in contracting out. However, these demands were not part of the union’s presentation as they are beyond the jurisdiction of the PIC.
You can download PSAC-UTE'’s PIC submission here.
The Agency will be making its arguments before the PIC January 20.
If you have any questions or concerns, or want more information on our proposals, speak with your Local President or UTE Regional Vice-President. You can also sign up for email updates.
What is a Public Interest Commission (PIC)?
Under the law that governs contract negotiations in the federal public service, once impasse is reached at the bargaining table, a PIC is established to help the parties reach an agreement.
The PIC is a panel of three people – a chairperson appointed by the Labour Board and nominees appointed by the union and management. The union and the employer submit briefs and explain their positions on the outstanding issues at a hearing with the PIC. The PIC then issues a report with recommendations for settlement. The recommendations are not binding.
Once the PIC releases its reports for the various PSAC units, the union’s respective bargaining teams will meet to discuss the recommendations. Traditionally, following this, PSAC’s teams and government representatives have returned to the table to resume negotiations. We expect the PIC report for bargaining with CRA to be issued in late winter 2020.
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