Message from the National President - Union News December 2020

Message from the National President - Union News December 2020

Union News December 2020

Here we are at the end of the year 2020. It was certainly not a year like any other. Of course, no one can ignore the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic that will continue into 2021. It has been a very difficult and trying year for millions of Canadians and billions of people around the world. Nobody has been able to escape the negative effects caused by this major event and our members are no exception.

Your health and safety is paramount to us and that is why we have been working diligently in collaboration with the employer since the beginning of this pandemic, to ensure that all our members can continue to work in a safe and healthy environment. The National Health and Safety Policy Committee (NHSPC), which includes the members of the UTE National Health and Safety Committee, will continue to monitor the situation very closely.

I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my gratitude to you, our members, for continuing to work tirelessly despite the pandemic to ensure that Canadian taxpayers continue to receive all the benefits to which they are entitled and to effectively administer the new emergency financial assistance benefits adopted by the Government of Canada to help the population.

Thank you again for your extraordinary dedication and outstanding work!

As you now know, we signed our new collective agreement on Friday, November 13th and it officially came into effect on that date. We have already begun to meet regularly with Agency representatives to ensure that the new agreement is implemented effectively and as quickly as possible.

Effective November 1, 2020, the period of continuous service required for term employees to qualify for administrative conversion to indeterminate (permanent) status has been reduced from five (5) years to three (3) years. We are very pleased with this and will continue to ensure that this new provision is applied and respected.

We are also continuing to follow up with PSAC on the situation regarding the compensation agreement in relation to the problems caused by the Phoenix pay system. We will keep you informed of any developments on this file as soon as possible.

I would like to thank you once again for your ongoing support.

All the representatives of the Union of Taxation Employees, who like you are members of our great union, are there to serve you, help you and represent you. We must never forget that our strength lies in our unity.

In closing, I wish you and your loved ones a wonderful Holiday Season and may the New Year bring you joy, happiness and prosperity! Stay safe and take good care of yourself and your loved ones!  Let us hope that this dreadful pandemic is nothing more than a bad memory before the year 2021 is over!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Yours in solidarity,

Marc Brière
National President