Report of the Finance Committee

Finance Committee
Report of the Finance Committee
September 2019

Doug Gaetz

The finance committee held a meeting from July 8-10,2019 in Ottawa. We had eleven items to review.

Out of the eleven items there were seven (7) recommendations the committee agreed to and council will debate them at council in September.

I would like to thank the committee for their hard work during the meeting.

The next meeting of the committee will be in October 2019 to develop the next budget for years 2021-2023 for council to review and debate in December 2019.

Recommendation #1

Moved by: Doug Gaetz
Seconded by: Gary Esslinger

Whereas Regulation 21 Family Care Expenses does not provide clear guidance on reimbursement of family care expenses.

Be it resolved that UTE Regulation 21 be amended to include; and

21.3  Reimbursement of Fees (New)

  1. Where the care is provided by someone other than a licensed agency/caregiver or the spouse/partner, former spouse/ partner with custody rights.
    1. the actual amount up to a maximum of $80 per day (for each 24-hour period) for the first family member;
    2. the actual amount up to a maximum of $55 per day (for each 24-hour period) for each additional family member.
  2. If care is provided by a licensed agency/attendant, the actual fees will be reimbursed.
  3. Pre-Approved Exceptions shall be submitted to the 1st Vice-President, or in their absence the President, a minimum of 14 days prior to the event.  Consideration will be given to special needs or unusual circumstances resulting in costs which exceed the above rates and expenses allowable.
  4. A completed Family Care Expense Claim form must be submitted, accompanied by a receipt, which must include the following information:
    1. Caregiver's full name
    2. Caregiver's full address
    3. Caregiver's telephone number
    4. Caregiver's license number (if applicable)
    5. Detailed dates and hours when the care was provided for each individual family member
    6. Amount charged
    7. Caregiver's signature

Be it further resolved that this change takes effect on October 1st, 2019.

Recommendation #2

Moved by: Doug Gaetz
Seconded by: Gary Esslinger

Current

REGULATIONS NO. 21 – FAMILY CARE EXPENSES

21.1 FAMILY CARE EXPENSES

  1. UTE members shall be entitled to be reimbursed for family care expenses in respect of children sixteen (16) years of age or younger and for adults who are in need of special care and who either permanently reside in the household of the member or with whom the member permanently resides.
  2. Family care expenses shall be reimbursed to members who are required to attend union business authorized by UTE.
  3. Family care expenses shall be reimbursed provided that an approved signed statement is submitted by the claimant.
  4. Family care expenses which are part of a member’s normal family care arrangements shall not be paid.
  5. Reasonable family care expenses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the UTE Guidelines.  Claims of an exceptional nature may be reimbursed subject to the approval of the 1st Vice-President.

Proposed

21.1 FAMILY CARE EXPENSES

1.      UTE members shall be entitled to be reimbursed for family care expenses in respect of children sixteen (16) years of age or younger and for adults who are in need of special care and who either permanently reside in the household of the member or with whom the member permanently resides.

2.      Family care expenses shall be reimbursed to members who are required to attend union business authorized by UTE.

3.      Family care expenses shall be reimbursed provided that an approved signed statement is submitted by the claimant.

3.       4. Family care expenses which are part of a member’s normal family care arrangements shall not be paid.

5.       Reasonable family care expenses shall be reimbursed in accordance with the UTE Guidelines.  Claims of an exceptional nature may be reimbursed subject to the approval of the 1st Vice-President.

Recommendation #3        

Moved by: Gary Esslinger
Seconded by: Cosimo Crupi

Whereas the salaries of the President, and 1st Vice-president, have not been reviewed since 2008; and

Whereas the finance committee was charged with the responsibility to review the salaries and benefits of these two positions.

Be it resolved that effective November 1st, 2019, the salary of the President and 1st Vice-president be set at:

President                                          128,000.00
1st Vice-president                            109,500.00

And be it further resolved that retro adjustments prior to November 1st, 2019 do not apply to these new salaries. 

And be it further resolved that retro adjustments prior to November 1st, 2019, will apply to pre-November 1st, 2019 salaries.

Recommendation #4        

Moved by: Gary Esslinger
Seconded by: Cosimo Crupi

Be it resolved that effective immediately, when the 1st Vice-president is required to replace the President for a period of at least three (3) consecutive working days, the 1st Vice-president shall be paid acting pay.

Recommendation #5        

Moved by: Gary Esslinger
Seconded by: Cosimo Crupi

Current

22.5 Vacation Leave with Pay

For each calendar month in which an Officer earns at least ten (10) days’ pay, vacation credits with pay shall be earned at the rate:

  1. one and one‑quarter (1 1/4) days until the month in which the anniversary   of their sixth (6) year of continuous employment occurs;
  2. one and two‑thirds (1 2/3) days commencing with the month in which their sixth (6) anniversary of continuous employment occurs;
  3. two and one‑twelfth (2 1/12) days commencing with the month in which   their fourteenth (14th) anniversary of continuous employment occurs effective April 1, 1999.
  4. two and one-half (2 1/2) days commencing with the month in which their twenty-third (23rd) anniversary of continuous employment occurs.
  5. employment with CRA shall be used in the calculation of continuous employment for purposes of Section 1.

To be deleted in its entirely and replaced with proposal below.

Proposed

22.5 Vacation Leave with Pay

  1. For each calendar month in which an Officer earns at least ten (10) days’ pay, vacation credits with pay shall be earned at the rate of the current AEU collective agreement. 
  2. Employment with CRA shall be used in the calculation of continuous employment for purposes of Section a.

Recommendation #6        

Moved by: Gary Esslinger
Seconded by: Cosimo Crupi

Current

22.2 Pay

  1. The Officers shall be remunerated as provided:
    1. The President:
      $101,500.00 (2009)
      $104,000.00 (2010)
      $106,500.00 (2011)
    2. The 1st Vice-President:
      $85,700.00 (2009)
      $87,800.00 (2010)
      $90,000.00 (2011)
  2. The Officers shall receive salary increases in accordance with the PSAC/CRA negotiated salary percentages increase set for the SP-05 group and level.
  3. Notwithstanding the above, the incumbent, if re-elected to the previously held position, shall retain the increment level held before the election took place;
  4. The Officers shall, in lieu of normal salary, receive strike pay in accordance with PSAC policy during periods when the UTE Membership is on a general strike.

Proposed

22.2 Pay

  1. The Officers shall be remunerated as provided:
    1. The President:
      $117,315.00 (current)
    2. The 1st Vice-President:
       $99,140.00 (current)
  2. The Officers shall receive salary increases in accordance with the PSAC/CRA negotiated salary percentages increase set for the SP-05 group and level.
  3. Notwithstanding the above, the incumbent, if re-elected to the previously held position, shall retain the increment level held before the election took place;

3.   The Officers shall, in lieu of normal salary, receive strike pay in accordance with PSAC policy during periods when the UTE Membership is on a general strike.

Recommendation #7        

Moved by:  Gary Esslinger
Seconded by:  Cosimo Crupi

Current

22.7 Severance Pay

(a)       Guidelines

  1. Subject to Regulation below, when the employment of an Officer terminates for any reason other than removal from office under Section 25, Sub-Section 1 of the Constitution of the PSAC, there shall be an entitlement to one (1) week’s pay at the current rate of pay for each completed year of continuous employment in UTE, and in the case of a partial year of continuous employment, one (1) weeks’ pay multiplied by the number of days of continuous employment divided by three hundred and sixty-five (365), in respect of which severance pay has not been previously paid.  Severance pay shall not exceed twenty-eight (28) weeks of pay.
  2. Severance pay entitlement determined in accordance with Regulation above shall be abated by the full amount of severance pay payable by the Public Service for the period of Public Service employment included in the total eligible service.
  3. Notwithstanding Regulation above, if an Officer who terminates employment with UTE returns to employment in the Public Service, the entitlement to severance pay shall be only for the period of continuous employment with UTE.
  4. If an Officer dies during the employment with UTE, there shall be paid to the estate an amount equal to the amount that Officer would have otherwise been entitled to at the time of termination of employment with UTE.

(b)    Termination of the accumulation of severance pay

  1. Effective March 8, 2017, the severance pay provided under Regulation 22.7 for elected paid officers of the Union of Taxation Employees will cease to accumulate.
  2. The elected officers of the Union of Taxation Employees who have accumulated severance pay under Regulation 22.7, prior to March 8, 2017, are entitled to receive their severance pay already accumulated in accordance with the guidelines of the said Regulation.

​(c)       Terms and options for the payment of severance pay

The severance pay amount to which an elected officer is entitled shall be paid, at the elected officer’s discretion, either:

  1. as a single payment at the rate of pay of the elected officer’s position as of March 7, 2017; or
  2. as a single payment at the time of the elected officer’s termination of employment from the Union of Taxation Employees, based on the rate of pay of the elected officer’s position at the date of termination of employment from the Union of Taxation Employees; or
  3. as a combination of options (1) and (2). The elected officer who chooses this option must specify the number of complete weeks payable under option (1) and the number of weeks remaining to be paid under option (2).

The Union of Taxation Employees will advise the elected officer of the number of his or her years of continuous employment no later than two (2) months after the date of the adoption of paragraphs 22.7(b) and 22.7(c).

The elected officer shall advise the Union of Taxation Employees of the term of payment option that she or he selected to cash out his or her severance pay within four (4) months of the date of adoption of paragraphs 22.7(b) and 22.7(c).

An elected officer who does not make a selection under paragraph 22.7(c) will be deemed to have chosen option (2) of the said paragraph.

The Union of Taxation Employees will pay as soon as possible the severance pay payable to any elected officer who has made a selection under paragraph 22.7(c). Payment will be made no later than sixty (60) days after the elected officer has informed the Union of Taxation Employees of his or her choice.

Be it resolved that 22.7 SEVERANCE PAY, as per above be removed in its entirety. 

Be it further resolved that the remainder of regulation 22 be renumbered accordingly.

Respectfully submitted,

Doug Gaetz
Chair of the Finance Committee