THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015
AFTERNOON SESSION
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 1:15 p.m. Bob Campbell, President of the Union of Taxation Employees, presided and the session opened with the song Solidarity Forever in both French and English.
President Campbell asked the delegation to respect a moment of silence for members who have passed away since the last conference.
President Campbell went over the Harassment Policy and introduced the Complaint Administrators: Jamie vanSydenborgh, Ken Bye and Lyson Paquette. He introduced the members of the staff from the National Office present in the room, and then asked the Local Presidents to introduce themselves. The members of the Executive Council were then introduced.
The CPR attendants were presented as follows: Janet Albinet, Bob Campbell, Susan Duncan, Doug Gaetz, Denis Lalancette, Kent MacDonald, Shane O’Brien, and Alex Thon.
New Local Presidents
Chris Ball (Barrie)
Jennifer MacPherson (Windsor)
Miranda Coutu (Belleville)
Selby Hewitt (Toronto West)
Betty Jo Skinner-Kehoe replaced by Glenn Murphy (Sydney)
Joanne Coish (St. John’s TSO)
Clarkson Newport (Hamilton)
Cosimo Crupi (Thunder Bay)
Gabriel Bourdon (Ottawa East)
Marina Robbins (Peterborough)
Derek Johannson (Penticton)
Deb Kosteniuk (Calgary)
Jérome Martel (Chicoutimi)
Attending her last Conference
Gisèle Pelletier (Québec)
President Campbell introduced the following Life Members : Sisters Betty Bannon, Gwen Jackson, Brothers Nick Stein, David Quist, and Jean Bergeron who were invited to Ottawa to be interviewed by the Workers History Museum. The Union of Taxation Employees is gearing up to celebrate 50 years of union activity and accomplishments, and as part of the celebrations, UTE has asked the Workers’ History Museum to prepare a video and book to record and preserve UTE’s history. He then introduced the other Life Members present in the room, Brothers Denis Lalancette, Kent MacDonald and himself Bob Campbell.
HOURS OF SESSION
M/S Dawn Hardy / Theresa Greenough
That the hours of session be as follows:
Thursday: 01:15 to 5:00
Friday: 09:00 to 11:45; 1:15 to 5:00
Saturday: 09:00 to 11:45; 1:15 to 5:00 or closure of business
MOTION CARRIED.
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
(See attached agenda, participants list and Items submitted by the Local Presidents)
M/S Janet Graham / Gesine Campbell
That the agenda be adopted with the following additional items:
Reliability Status Plus Check List (Toronto East)
Bargaining Activities (Rouyn-Noranda)
Training Course Virtually Managed Employees (Ottawa TSO)
Severance for Retired Members (Kitchener)
T-Shirts Collective Bargaining (Halifax)
April 30th Post Cards (Winnipeg TSO)
Public Affairs Branch - Union Management Structure (Summerside)
Education Reimbursement Employer (Vancouver)
Student Hiring (London)
MOTION CARRIED.
OPENING REMARKS
President Campbell started his remarks on a very positive note saying that March 18th was a very successful day. The reports received from around the country show that it was fantastic. The information that got through to management and Treasury Board will definitely show them that the membership is behind their negotiating team. This action was the best that we ever done he said; the efforts, the ideas, the money from the locals, the solidarity of the members, the walk around the offices by our National Officers to explain the importance of standing up for what we have negotiated in good faith in the past such as severance pay, sick leaves, etc... all the above actions have contributed to make the difference on March 18th. UTE is the only union in the Public Service that still has severance pay and we should be proud of that. He expressed his sincere appreciation to the locals and thanked each and everyone for their hard work in engaging the membership. Pictures of the event have been posted on our website.
President Campbell went on giving some information to the participants about the demonstration early the next morning to show our dissatisfaction with the Harper government and its cuts. Participants were provided for the occasion with a "Stop Harper" sign.
On a difficult note, he mentioned that there are too many complaints of Duty of Fair Representation. There are some cases where the grievance papers were submitted after the deadline or were not followed up. If we are found guilty of unfair representation on cases and there is money involved, the locals will have to share a portion of the cost of the settlement with the PSAC and the Component. He emphasized the importance that locals should be more diligent and make sure that the grievance papers are filed properly; that a record is kept; and that even though the case may not be winnable, that they are submitted before the due date and a follow-up is done accordingly.
President Campbell informed the crowd that CRA has asked that UTE get more involved in the Employees Softball Tournament. UTE has been paying the insurance for the tournament for many years now. He suggested that the locals put in place a UTE team as it is a good way to meet people, have fun and to get them involved in the union. For more information, the locals could contact Brother Selby Hewitt, President of the Toronto Local 00051.
He concluded his remarks by expressing his sincere appreciation to the locals for their unbelievable work and asked them to extend his thanks to the local executives and the members back home.
Points of privilege – Alan Craig, Ottawa TC
Please bring the toiletries from your room to be offered to various shelters in the region.
Miranda Coutu - Belleville
She will be collecting money for Brother Patrick Fullbeck’s treatments from the Peterborough Local.
Sister Kim Koch – Northern B.C. & Yukon
Announced that she will have a 50/50 draw to collect money for the Ride to End Cancer and asked for the delegation’s support.
The points were well taken by the President.
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL BUSINESS
President Campbell reported briefly on some of the business conducted by the Executive Council earlier during the week. (For additional details, please see the attached Executive Council Minutes and Committee Reports of March 2015).
From Executive Council Minutes:
Adoption of the following items:
- Terms of Reference for the Call Centre Committee
- Roles and Responsibilities for Local Call Centre Contacts
- Dates and locations of the next three Regional EO Conferences
- Authorization to overspend some of the line items (see Council minutes)
- Adoption of the Financial Statements 2014
- Adoption of the Audited Financial Statements 2014
- PSAC Discipline Investigations Training
Point of privilege – Dawn Hardy, Summerside
The sister mentioned that she and Sister Nancy Johnson from Saskatoon were selected to attend the Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. She described the program as being a unique opportunity for labour activists to represent the union. She was disappointed that the resolution to get funding was defeated by the Executive Council during week. She would appreciate doing a presentation on their experience afterwards during a President’s Conference to show the value of this event.
The point was well taken by the President.
Brother Brière informed the participants that the observers to this conference were entitled to a stipend amount of $500 and that they have 30 days to submit their request.
He also informed the participants that a UTE jacket will be provided to the UTE delegation at the PSAC Convention next May in Québec City together with red berets with the UTE Logo to underline the French side of the city of Quebec.
REPORT OF THE UTE NATIONAL BARGAINING COMMITTEE
Sister Madonna Gardiner, Chair of the UTE Bargaining Committee introduced the bargaining team and committee members as follows: Brothers Jean-Pierre Fraser, Denis Lalancette and Doug Gaetz, Sisters Dawn Hardy, and Lyson Paquette, UTE Technical Advisor. Were absent: Morgan Gay, PSAC Negotiator, Julie Chiasson, PSAC Researcher, Sabri Khayat, Robin Johnson and Pietro Masdea.
Sister Gardiner opened her speech saying that March 18th was a successful event, a great way to show solidarity among the membership and that this action would help very much the team going through mediation the following week. She extended her thanks to all the participants and to the members back at the locals. The site visits to the locals by the RVPs were very much welcomed by the local executives as well by the members who are not always familiar with their elected representatives. There was a special newsletter on negotiations that went out to all members to show solidarity, as well as telephone town hall meeting that provided lots of information on the event of March 18th. As it could be seen by the pictures published on our web side, the event was a huge success. She said that it is with activities like March 18th that we show the employer that we can negotiate on behalf or our members; that we have their support; that we are not being unreasonable and that we are good workers and good people.
Their will be a meeting scheduled after mediation next week of the National Strategy Coordination Committee whereby discussions will take place on how the mediation went and to discuss the next actions to be taken as we have to keep on pushing the employer to show that the membership is taking these negotiations seriously. An update will be provided to the locals afterwards.
The next bargaining demands process is in place and demands can be submitted at the National Office at any time now and throughout the year before the Input Call is sent out.
Sister Madonna took note of the suggestions from Sister Louise Vallière from the Rouyn-Noranda Local for the next activities or events, in case we do not get a contract the following week.
The participants took the opportunity with the Committee was at the front of the room, to walk to the microphones and give some feedback regarding the activities of March 18th and to talk about actions to be taken in the near future. It was suggested, among other things, to suspend all Union-Management relations at all levels except health and safety until an agreement is reached. President Campbell cautioned the locals that some actions could be construed as strike activities. There will be other activities to put pressure on the employer and Treasury Board, but the best action that can be done is getting rid of this government this October.
Sister Janet Graham from the Vancouver Local and her observer Sister Lorraine Gates presented the bargaining team on behalf of their local executive a two-fold banner displaying pictures of members during the day of action to demonstrate both their creativity and their support. They expressed their wish that the Bargaining Team display the banner at the negotiating table next week so they know that they are not alone.
Brother Chris Lansdell from the St. John’s Local brought a poster signed by 384 members in appreciation to the work done by the bargaining team and wished them well next week when negotiating for a fair contract with these intransigent people.
Brother Glenn Murphy from the Sydney Local and his observer Crystal English presented the bargaining team with a Cape Breton flag signed by the local’s members.
President Campbell invited the participants to give a standing ovation to the bargaining team for the work they have done and the work they have ahead.
REPORT OF THE NATIONAL EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE
President Campbell invited the Committee up to the front. Brother Bob Carpenter, Chair of the Committee introduced Sister Madonna Gardiner, Co-Chair, and Brother Erik Gagné, Technical Advisor. Was absent: Sister Jennifer Phillips, Presidents’ Representative.
The other members on the committee representing the five equity groups are as follows:
Aboriginal Peoples
Emma Bertamini; 1st Alternate - Craig Wood.Persons with Disabilities
Gesine Campbell; 1st Alternate - Debbie Willett.Women
Cheryl Seymour; 1st Alternate - Nancy Johnson; 2nd Alternate - Nadja Septier.GLBT
Mary Ellen Lucier; 1st Alternate - Iain MacFarlane; 2nd Alternate - Melanee Jessup.Racially Visible
Ahmed Kayka; 1st Alternate - Hakam Bhaloo; 2nd Alternate - Chris Lansdell.
He went on saying that the dates and locations for the next three (3) Regional Conferences were provided earlier by President Campbell and can be found in the March Council Minutes. The theme for the conferences is:
AWAKING OUR ACTIVISM.
The Chair concluded by mentioning that they are looking for new attendees who did not have the chance to attend in the past. The budget will fund two (2) delegates from each local and observers are encouraged to attend as well.
Brother Hicham Youssfi from the Moncton Local took the opportunity while on the subject to comment about racism, discrimination and terrorism in Canada around Muslims and Middle East people. He encouraged people to send pictures or notes through Facebook, Twitter, etc… to show their support to Tunisia. This gesture he said will make its way through and make a huge difference in helping to fight terrorism and dictatorship of governments.
President Campbell acknowledged the Brother’s comments and encouraged the locals to show solidarity as unionists.
REPORT OF THE HONOURS AND AWARDS COMMITTEE
President Campbell invited to the podium the Honours and Awards Committee. Brother Denis Lalancette, Chair of the Committee introduced the members of the Committee as follows: Gesine Campbell, Presidents’ Representative and Wayne Little, Co-Chair. The Committee took the opportunity to honour a few people.
Sister Louise Vallière was awarded the Godfroy Côté Award for her commitment to achieving the aims and objectives of UTE.
She thanked the committee members and Brother Bégin for having nominated her for this award. She said that she is convinced that the union has contributed to making her a better person, to making her grow into a better unionist. She had great mentors during all these years. It is a positive adventure to be a union representative. As a small local, they have been treated equally as other larger locals. She concluded by saying that she was looking forward to her retirement and thanked everyone for their support over the years and for the award.
Brother Daniel Gagnon was awarded a 25 year pin for his long involvement and commitment with UTE.
Brother Doug Gaetz was pleased to present Brother Brian Oldford with a 25 year pin for his dedication and hard work.
In conclusion, Brother Lalancette added that the committee is preparing a presentation for the next Presidents’ Conference in September to explain how the committee works and its mandate.
ITEMS PRESENTED BY THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS
Assisting our Members through Medical Retirement – Kitchener 00015
The Local would appreciate a workshop next September on this topic.
President Campbell acknowledged the local request and was favourable to having a workshop on the topic at the next President’s Conference in September.
LWOP for other Reasons – Kitchener 00015
The Local explained that they can’t take LWOP for union activities such as plant gating. Is this happening across the country? On a show of hands, there were seven locals experiencing the same situation.
Shane O’Brien, Senior Labour Relations Officer responded that he was surprised of the low number of locals that were in the same situation. Union leaves are generally dealt with under Article 14 and that includes a number of provisions for leave with pay and without pay. He added that if the employer denies this leave for this reason, then there was no use grieving as it will not be going to adjudication. The matter should be dealt with at the local level and hope that the managers will grant the leave.
Fragrance-free Policy – Kitchener 00015
The Local commented that they have been fighting on this issue for many years. They wanted to know if other locals have a policy in place.
Other locals explained that this was becoming a very important issue and were of the view that there should be a policy in place.
Management has discouraged people wearing scented products. They have posters in the workplace to that effect. They also have a section on fragrance-free in the new hiring package. In some offices, management has moved the person that is scent sensitive instead of dealing with the person that uses the scents. Locals also encounter problems with the products used to clean offices.
On the other hand, some locals said that management is working well on this issue and trying to educate the members.
Doug Gaetz, Chair of the Health and Safety Committee added that the Committee gets numerous phone calls from across the county on this issue. At this point in time, the National Health & Safety Policy Committee is not looking at asking for a policy, but it is always a topic on the agenda. The best thing to do he stressed, is to educate the members at the local level.
The meeting recessed at 1700 hours.
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2015
MORNING SESSION
The meeting reconvened at 9h00 with President Campbell in the Chair.
President Campbell thanked everyone for participating in the demonstration earlier that morning. He hopes that the Commissioner, Mr. Treusch will get the message that we all stand together. He advised that danishes and muffins will be served at the morning coffee break as a token of appreciation for the great work accomplished.
He announced that Sister Nicole St-Aubin, former UTE employee will be in the hall in a while to sell a book called No One Wants to Die Alone in memory of our Sister Carmen Armstrong. All the proceeds will go towards the Cancer Research Foundation.
President Campbell introduced Sister Barb Stewart from the Worker’s History Museum. Sister Barb spoke about the interviews that are taking place to produce a video and a book on UTE history.
Also working on this project from the Workers History Museum are: Arthur Carkner, Project Coordinator, Barb Stewart and Robert Hatfield, members of the team.
Point of privilege – Alan Craig, Ottawa TC
He will be changing locals as of April and wished to take this opportunity to thank his present local for their support throughout the four years he was involved as a shop steward.
Point of privilege - Brenda Skayman, Edmonton
The Sister shared that one of their Edmonton Local member Brother Yusuf Jama and his young family lost everything in a fire last February. She will be passing a card to collect money on behalf of the brother.
The points were well taken by the President.
President Campbell introduced Sister Betty Bannon, past UTE National President who asked permission to say a few words. She informed the participants that she was running for the nomination for the NDP in her riding of Hastings - Lennox and Addington in Foxboro, Ontario and that she would appreciate donations to help run her campaign. She will be passing an envelope around and is counting on their generosity to help her and her riding association to defeat Harper on the hill.
ITEMS PRESENTED BY THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS
Facebook – Montreal 10008
The item was withdrawn by the submitting local.
EAP Employer’s Training – Montreal 10008
The Local mentioned that there was training offered by EAP and that union representatives could not take the courses. What can they do to change this situation?
Some locals responded that they are invited to take the training and one will be provided next week in their region.
President Campbell noted that this problem appears to be a local issue and it should be dealt with at the local level.
Wayne Little, Chair of the EAP informed that a meeting was scheduled to take place on April 14th whereby the issue will be discussed.
Refusal from Sun Life – Mental Health – Montreal 10008
The Local was informed that first requests for mental health cases such as depression, anxiety etc…were automatically refused by Sun Life. The local is not always aware of these situations as members do not always inform them. They added as a point of information that it was harder to deal with Sun Life if the members do not have an advocate to help with the paper work. The Local wanted to know if this was happening elsewhere across the country.
Shane O’Brien, SLRO commented that he had spoken with Sun Life and they do not have any policy of rejecting any claim outright, including those with mental health issues. Sun Life explained to him that most of the time the problem is that they do not receive sufficient medical evidence on the assessment forms from the doctor to support the claim.
Management of Leave – Halifax 80003
The Local talked about a memo that came out from CRA regarding the review of management of time. The employer waits until everyone puts in their leave form before authorizing the leave as opposed to first in, first served. They wanted to know if the union was consulted on this issue.
According to some locals, this is happening elsewhere.
President Campbell answered that there has been no consultation with UTE on management of time.
Shane O’Brien, SLRO commented that it is a very common practice and that the employer stretches it to the limit. The normal procedure is that employees are asked to submit their vacation leave requests by a certain date. However, this does not give the employer the right to refuse leaves after the set date. As per the collective agreement, vacation leave must be approved at times convenient to the employees and the employer and such leaves should not be unreasonably denied. Furthermore, if there is no operational requirement in place, and the vacation leave request is submitted at a time convenient to the employee and the employer, and management continues to act unreasonably, then a grievance should be filed. A grievance should also be filed if the employer denies the leave after the set date.
Brother O’Brien added that there should be a distinction made between vacation leave, which is a right under the collective agreement and the leave with income averaging, which a discretionary leave granted by the employer.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Brother O’Brien, Senior Labour Officer gave a presentation on Staffing Recourse and answered questions from the participants. The presentation will be emailed to all locals and Council members.
President Campbell informed the crowd that workshops on Political Action and Performance Review would be delivered in the afternoon.
The meeting recessed at 1145 hours.
SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 2015
MORNING SESSION
The Conference was called to order at 9:00 a.m. with President Campbell in the Chair.
Points of privilege – Sue Moser – Kelowna 20003
The 50/50 draw raised $680.00. The winner of the draw was Sister Christine Krokosh from the Lethbridge Local.
Sister Moser advised that there would be another draw in the afternoon.
Miranda Coutu – Belleville, 00012
The money raised for Brother Patrick totaled $568.00. Thank you all.
Betty Bannon – UTE Past President
Sister Bannon raised the amount of $1238.00 for her campaign. She thanked everyone for their generosity.
The points were well taken by the President.
ITEMS PRESENTED BY THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS
Emergency Response Line – Halifax 80003
The Local wanted to know at what time in the morning other offices update their emergency response line.
President Campbell stated that according to the locals that went to the microphones, it depends on the region.
Ontario 7:00 a.m., Pacific 8:00 a.m., the Prairies 5:30, etc…
Blueprint 2020/Competencies – Halifax 80003
The Local talked about the reduction of the competencies and then asked if there is any information on this issue.
Shane O’Brien, SLRO answered that the Agency is moving from 28 to approximately 11 competencies. He and Brother Khayat had numerous meetings on the staffing implications of Blueprint 2020. The CRA has been directed by Treasury Board to establish core competencies. There will be a meeting on March 31 and hopefully they will be in a position to communicate some information to the field on this issue afterwards.
Compressed Schedule / Variable Hours of Work – Moncton 60008
The Local commented that their small office has always worked well around the compressed schedule. Recently, management has changed the procedure that was working very well. From now on, employees will have to keep the same day they have chosen.
President Campbell agreed that the employer wants consistency. This is happening across the country and not just in New Brunswick.
Shane O’Brien, SLRO commented on an important clause under this article in the collective agreement… upon request of the employee and the concurrence of the employer. For the past ten years, they have been closing the door more and more on super compressed work hours etc… Members may grieve, but the grievance will not be sent to adjudication. Locals should send a bargaining demand on this issue if they want the leaves to be granted differently.
Increased Workload for Team Leaders (Collections) – Moncton 60008
The Local explained that their manager keeps adding to the job description and that the situation is getting unreasonable. They force the employees to do more and more. Since they can’t do everything they are asked to do - for lack of time in a day - then the work is compromised. Every member is suffering from this situation.
President Campbell was in total agreement with the local. This issue has brought up with CRA many times, he said. Brother Khayat has talked about it during staffing meetings. If management is adding work to job descriptions, then members should grieve to have the new tasks included in the job description and reclassified. He will keep bringing this issue to the employer.
Help from RVP/National Office to deal with Management – Moncton 60008
The Local commented that this issue was in the same line of thinking as mentioned earlier. The Local has difficulties dealing with incompetent managers. The fact that makes the situation more difficult is that one manager is in Saint John and he doesn’t answer phone calls or emails. Management is lying to the members on important issues and it is becoming very difficult to handle the situation.
President Campbell was of the view that this is a serious problem. This situation should be put in writing. This is not an issue that can be dealt with nationally at this point. He suggested that this be discussed among the local executives and the RVP and that they try to solve the problem locally. If the local decides to boycott activities, consultation, etc. then the local has to let management know. Otherwise they will think that everything is working well if they don’t hear otherwise.
Degradation of Communication/Training from the employer – Rouyn-Noranda 10009
The Local commented that in recent years, the way the CRA communicates has changed adversely. Years ago, when there was important information to be known or changes to procedures, the National Office was informed and the information was transmitted to the locals in a timely manner. Often management would meet with the local executives to let them know of changes coming up, etc... Furthermore, when management or team leaders were receiving training, i.e. performance management, the union was able to assist either as participants or observers. Now, we have to fight to get information and to be part of webinars. We have asked questions and have not received responses as of now. With the webinars, the feedback is done within the local and not the team leaders.
Nowadays, the locals are kept informed mostly through Infozone. i.e. Blueprint 2020. We should be able to communicate directly with team leaders to get information and exchange opinion on matters.
The Local was of the view that this matter should be brought to the national management attention.
President Campbell answered that this issue was discussed during staffing meetings. He will have a meeting set with Diane Lorenzato, Assistant Commissioner from Human Resources Branch to discuss how virtual employees are managed.
Maternity and Parental Leaves – Rouyn-Noranda 10009
The Local commented that members have asked to bring the issue to talk about the delay in receiving this paperwork for determinate employees. The request is for management to send the kit to pregnant women more rapidly to help them make a better decision with respect to their benefits. The Local advised that some research was done by the Local President on the matter and that the information is available through the Montréal RVP for locals who would like to look at it. The Local is hoping that the information would be beneficial to other members.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
President Campbell introduced Brother James Infantino, Disability Insurance and Pensions Officer, National Programs with the PSAC who was invited to give his presentation Pension Promise Denied, which highlights the current threats to Canadian defined benefit pension plans and what we are doing to protect and improve income security for retirees.
He answered a few questions from the participants.
Point of privilege - Christina Lamothe – 70000
A member by the name of Wendy Labonté was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) disease and she is fighting every day to go to work. . Sister Labonté will more likely be locked in her body by December due to the illness. There will be an article published on Wendy in the publication Interaction called Our Hero. Please check this website for donations and thank you very much on behalf of Wendy and her family.
www.gofundme.com/olu0i4.
The point was well taken by the President.
ITEMS PRESENTED BY THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS
Retirement Information from Compensation – Windsor 00018
The Local stated that they have several members who had retired for the past four to six months that have complied with the Compensation Section recommendation to submit their request at least 90 days before their retirement date and who have yet to receive an acknowledgment note or letter saying that everything was in order. Messages left with Compensation are not returned.
The Winnipeg Local commented that Compensation is under staffed or the staff do not have the expertise to answer questions on the matter. Nevertheless, the members should be contacted on their request within six weeks of their retirement date. The Winnipeg Local added to his comment that often the problem is that the files received are incomplete. The members filing the request are on vacation or away from home and difficult to reach. Also, sometimes their phone number or address are not accurate and can’t be contacted easily. There is a process in place by calling the 1800 number where it is possible to leave a message and should expect a return call within 48 hours.
Doug Gaetz, RVP Atlantic Region informed the participants that each RVP has a specific contact person and were provided with a phone number to contact Compensation for cases like these.
The meeting recessed at 1145 hours.
AFTERNOON SESSION
The meeting was called to order at 1:15 pm. with President Campbell in the Chair.
President Campbell opened the afternoon session commenting that it was a good idea to have a workshop on Amalgamated Offices and Virtually Managed Employees. For that purpose, the National Office will need to receive the locals concerns or ideas on the matter, in order to develop a workshop. An email will be sent to all locals reminding them to send their issues on the topic. It would be appreciated that locals who do not have an issue send us a note as well saying that everything works well in their local if that is the case. We will be expecting 58 replies.
Points of privilege – Brenda Skayman – Edmonton
She thanked the people for their encouragement and generous donation of $395.00 for Brother Yusuf Jama from the Edmonton Local who suffered a fire last February.
The point was well taken by the President.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
Brother O’Brien, Senior Labour Officer gave a presentation on Changes to Grievances and Adjudication, Bill C-4 and answered questions from the participants.
ITEMS PRESENTED BY THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS
CFIB vs. CRA – Pacific Region Call Centre 20050
The Local stated that Call Centers have recently been shed in a very negative light thanks to our friends at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), and CRA has not assisted much in quelling or attempting to suppress the information that is collected from the internal program. Taxpayers do not know the difference between Business and Individual enquiries and, as a result, some of our members are being questioned about the accuracy of the information they are providing.
With the downloading of all surveys, the front line agents are the ones that have to try to filter out what the callers are calling about and direct those calls to the appropriate areas.
We need some front line messaging on the telephone system to say that the CRA expects callers to behave appropriately. Our employees deserve to be treated with respect.
President Campbell acknowledged the Local’s concerns and asked all locals that if they hear disparaging comments or statements towards our members that they stand up and tell them to write to their MP asking to bring the staffing level and the service to the public back where it should be.
National Quality Accuracy Learning Program - Pacific Region Call Centre 20050
The Local was of the view that some of these problems are systemic because during this time of year management is hiring volumes of staff that are learning. Senior officers and acting senior officers are doing the side by side training. Listeners only have two minutes to be listened to and feedback must be provided within two minutes.
If this program is to have any type of credibility, there must be a better way to have this managed so that the front line agents get meaningful feedback. There is also some resentment about peer agents doing the internal surveys.
This program needs to be mandated with some national structure so that this can be managed in some meaningful way. At one time there was dedicated senior agents conducting the program, but management went away from that to delegate it to almost everyone in the call centre. When they rolled out the program, it was a great idea and the union signed onto the agreement as it was to be used for learning purposes. Now it is more like a numbers game and the learning element has come out because they do not allow time to be able to sit with an agent to identify all the problems. The taxpayers want accurate answers.
A few Call Centre Locals went to the microphone to share their concerns.
President Campbell asked the Chair of the Call Centre to provide additional information.
Jamie vanSydenborgh, Chair of Call Centre Committee advised that there is an email tree to exchange this information and that nothing was posted since last June. He reiterated the importance of sharing this kind of information through the channel in place.
Performance Review – Montreal 10008
The Local commented that the assessment period is for two months for agents and we know that the objectives are reviewed on a period of twelve months. Should the objectives be divided if the employee is working for two or three months? Should the review be done on a pro rata basis?
Kent MacDonald, LRO answered that if it is a temporary or acting situation, then any period of time can be assessed and yes, there should be a discussion of what the objectives are. If the members do not meet the expectations then the employer can terminate the temporary or acting employment. There should definitely be a grievance filed if the employee believes that the grounds for not meeting the objectives are not set properly.
As per the collective agreement, in order for a team leader to sign the Y280 form, he or she must have supervised the employee for 6 months or greater or have been aware of the performance over the 6 month period of time. If the employee had 3 team leaders over a period of 4 months then their supervisor should be the one signing the form based on the information obtained by the 3 team leaders.
Doing Work for a Charity/UTE Exposure – Halifax 80003
The item was withdrawn by the submitting local.
Reliability Status Plus Check List – Toronto East 00001
The Local wanted to know if only CRA staff was going through this reliability status check or were other departments of the government or agencies?
Shane O’Brien, SLRO said that he and Sister Melanson had meetings and good consultation on that issue with Finance and Administration at the CRA. The employer has accepted the vast majority of their recommendations to decrease a lot of the security requirements, including the credit check. The Agency had moved significantly on this issue. However, about two months ago, they were advised that Treasury Board had a meeting with all the departments and federal agencies and everybody will be marching in the same direction. CRA has gone back to comply with the TB directive, such as the credit check and fingerprint check. The standard is for specific jobs only at this point, but they will increase more and more in the future.
The London local would appreciate a bulletin explaining the new implications.
Point of privilege – Kim Koch, Northern B.C. & Yukon
The amount of $282.00 was collected for the 50/50 cancer ride.
The point of privilege was well taken by President Campbell.
President Campbell introduced Sister Linda Cassidy, Life Member who had just entered the room.
ITEMS PRESENTED BY THE LOCAL PRESIDENTS
Bargaining Actions – Rouyn-Noranda 10009
The item was withdrawn from the submitted local.
Training Course Virtually Managed Employees – Ottawa TSO 70010
The Local explained that they are both a home and a host office. Many virtually managed employees work at the host office and they are not invited to the retirement training course. The employer was asked why this was happening and they answered that the training was given only to employees of the host office location. Virtually managed employees should get the training from their host office.
The Local wanted to make sure that other locals knew that this was happening and that they make sure that all their employees get the course. All employees should be treated equally as per the signed agreement of understanding. As well, as a point of information, the Local added that their Director did not have a complete list of all employees in the office. It’s a major problem with respect to health and safety implications.
Severance for Retired Members – Kitchener 00015
The Local said that they have members who would like to retire and since there is no signed agreement, they would like to know what would happen if they take their severance pay now.
President Campbell answered that they should ask Human Resources to calculate their severance with the appropriate current rate and that the severance will be retroactive.
T-shirts Collective Bargaining – Halifax 80003
The Local would like to get the same bright T-shirts for March 18th as the one the Quebec Region and Sister Hardy wore the day before. This would look as if we are all part of a group and it would look great.
President Campbell agreed that it was a great idea and he will look in to getting a good price, if possible. He emphasized the fact that the shirts must be Union made first or Canadian made, as this is what a union is all about.
The Summerside Local commented that they had ordered 1000 T-shirts with their logo. The impact is amazing when all members wear the same shirt with the same message on it.
April 30th Post Cards – Winnipeg TSO 50021
The Local would like to get post cards as they did last year and hand them out on April 30th.
President Campbell will bring the idea up again at the NSCC meeting in two weeks.
Public Affaire Branch (PAB)/Union Management Structure – Summerside 90006
The Local President commented that she has been working for the past few months with PAB and that there is no appreciation or sympathy for what the union does. There are many virtual teams and remote workers in the Summerside Office and they have worked very hard to try to have a relationship with the management team responsible for those programs.
The Local has initiated contact with the director of PAB to do a presentation on what it is to be a union representative, as they do not interact at all with the union. The problem is that PAB has employees in almost every local that are in this room.
The Local brought the issue to this forum to see if there was any objection for them to contact PAB in order to have someone get in touch with the union.
President Campbell stated that he has an issue with this initiative. He went on saying that it is not the responsibility of local presidents or local executives to do that. The issue should be brought to the attention of the RVP for him to try to solve it locally if it is a local issue then at the national level, if need be. He added that even though we do not have NUMCCs at the moment, we still talk to management at the national and regional levels.
Brother Bill Blair, RVP for the National Capital Region said that he has issues with PAB. PAB have a new Assistant Commissioner and there has been no UMC for a while now. He added that there are problems with ACs who are trying to get the consultation meetings down to one annually.
Education Reimbursement Employer 2015-16 – Vancouver 20027
The Local asked if this topic has gone to the National Office. They commented that some areas have no chance to put their name forward. The majority seems to be going to PIPSC AUs.
President Campbell answered that this is a regional issue. Even though the budgets have been cut, each region has their own education budget. Management picks the people from outside as it is cheaper. It is discriminatory and there is no development anymore in the Agency. It is the responsibility of the employees to get where they want to be. The education may be reimbursed, but it is not a done deal. Members should apply and if they are denied then they should grieve.
Student Hiring – London 00017
The Local was notified by management that job staffing will be done with students only.
President Campbell answered that the number of students went up all around the country.
Shane O’Brien, SLRO answered that it has been a big issue at the last Presidents’ Conference. The Staffing Committee took it very seriously and wrote to all locals to get information to meet with the employer. The locals were asked to send statistical information and evidence of the employer abusing the student hiring program. The committee received a reply from only one region, the Atlantic region. We received nothing from the Local who brought the issue to the conference.
The committee met with the employer, who told them that the amount of student hiring had decreased. The committee had no information to back up our position that the amount had increased.
President Campbell asked Brother O’Brien to send an email again to the locals asking for information.
CLOSING REMARKS
President Campbell thanked the staff for organizing the conference. Brothers MacDonald and O’Brien for their presentations, Sister Duncan and Brother Thon for their expertise, the technicians and the Interpreters. He reminded everyone that the National Office needs photos for the UTE History video and book. He thanked the participants and members back home in the locals. He thanked the RVPs for their great usual assistance and ends his remarks saying that we all should be standing up proud that we still have our severance pay. He wished everyone a safe trip home.
The meeting recessed at 16h45 hours.