Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
On March 31st, 2026, the Acting Commissioner of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) announced another round of job cuts via a Workforce Adjustment (WFA) exercise to meet the Agency’s targeted spending reduction. This time, the employer notified 479 employees in four (4) different Branches - Service, Innovation, and Integration Branch (SIIB), Security Branch (SB), Finance and Administration Branch (FAB) and a majority working in Legislative Policy and Regulatory Affairs Branch (LPRAB) - that their positions have been identified as affected. This is largely due to the government eliminating taxation programs such as the Digital Services Tax, the Federal Fuel Charge, the Canada Carbon Rebate for individuals and for businesses, the Underused Housing Tax and the luxury tax on aircraft and vessels. The affected employees work at CRA Headquarters in Ottawa and in the regions across the country.
Of the 479 affected employees, 284 are Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) members and were placed in affected status. We expect 171 of these members to be retained and 113 will be declared surplus following Voluntary Departure and retention processes.
Our UTE local and regional representatives have received training and are ready and able to assist and advise members effectively in navigating the Workforce Adjustment (WFA) Process - including Voluntary Departure Program, Retention exercise, and the alternation process.
Therefore, we strongly encourage you to contact your local for support and guidance.
Before making decisions, please review all your options first. There are timelines built into the WFA process to allow you to make an informed decision. We strongly encourage that affected members do not rush into making a decision as timelines are important in the alternation process. Your employer letter will have detailed information on your timelines.
We also invite affected members to consult our comprehensive Workforce Adjustment Guide:
Read our complete Workforce Adjustment Guide (PDF)
This announcement doesn’t come as a surprise. Indeed, the programs being cut were identified in the budget tabled last fall by the federal government. Nonetheless, it is bad news, more potential job losses, and we fully understand that those directly impacted are feeling immense stress and uncertainty about what comes next.
Our union strongly opposes these potential job losses in the public service.
To those affected members, we want you to know that your union will stand with you throughout the entire process.
We will be actively involved with the Agency to ensure transparent communication and a fair implementation of the WFA process. UTE will advocate for your rights and explore every possible avenue to support job retention.
In Solidarity,
Marc Brière
National President
Union of Taxation Employees