CRA NEGOTIATIONS: WHAT’S HAPPENING?
April 30, 2013
In the last 2 rounds of negotiations, we have had a new collective agreement concluded before the previous one expired. This time around, we are still negotiating 6 months after our contract expired.
This is not new. We have been here before with this employer.
What has happened in the past?
| 1991 | After several months, negotiations reached an impasse. The PSAC declared a general strike. |
| 1997 | Negotiations with Treasury Board lasted 18 months. At this table, more than 87,075 members were represented. |
| 1999 | The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Act was adopted.. The CRA now had the power to negotiate without the intervention of Treasury Board. |
| 2000 | We signed our first collective agreement with the CRA after 18 months of negotiations. Treasury Board still controlled the purse strings. |
| 2004 | Expiration of the collective agreement on October 31. After 11 months of negotiations and a strategic strike, we signed an agreement. |
| 2007 | Expiration of the collective agreement on October 31. The CRA was entirely disassociated from Treasury Board. A new agreement was finalised before the expiration of the collective agreement. |
| 2010 | Expiration of the collective agreement on October 31. Again, CRA was disassociated from Treasury Board. A new agreement was finalised before the expiration of the collective agreement. |
| 2012 | The Harper Government’s Bill C-45 eliminated the CRA’s power to bargain freely. All bargaining mandates now must be obtained from Treasury Board. |
| 2012-13 |
To date, 1132 members of UTE have been given notice that they are “affected” by Workforce Adjustment and that they could lose their jobs. More budget restrictions and job cuts are expected. |
Why are things different this round?
Several things have changed since our last round of bargaining:
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Unlike our two previous rounds, we are no longer bargaining exclusively with CRA. Because of a change to the law, CRA now has to get its mandate from Treasury Board. This means we are now essentially bargaining directly with the Harper government.
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Since Harper’s election, we have seen ongoing cuts to jobs and the services that we provide. In addition, we have seen other attacks on our terms and conditions of employment and to our workplaces.
Our objective, above all else in this round, is to achieve new protections. Protections for our jobs, our work, the services that we provide, and on the job, including in such areas as scheduling and permanent employment.
Although the things we have proposed are common elsewhere in the federal public sector, we have not yet made any significant progress with management at the bargaining table.
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