Minutes of the Staffing Committee Meeting

Brother Sabri Khayat opened the meeting welcoming the committee members.

The following report is a summary of what transpired:

1. Working Methods of the Committee  

This is a standing item on the agenda, to ensure that we remain cognizant of how we effectively work together.

The Committee also discussed the parameters for our Committee in that the only issues that we may officially deal with are items referred by Executive Council or the National President

2. Work Descriptions and Job Competency Profiles

The Committee agreed that Brother O’Brien would continue to coordinate the CRA consultation process with respect to the Work Description and Job Competency Profiles consultation process.  Should Brother O’Brien be absent from time to time, Brother Khayat will assist in the coordination of the consultation process. 

The Committee also discussed the time commitment by Chris Brother Di Liberatore and Sister Gardiner to review and provide feedback on the work descriptions and Job Competency Profiles. 

The Committee will monitor the time frames for response requested by the employer to ensure that they respect the 4-week response time frames.  The Committee noted that it is sometimes difficult to respond within the established time frames when multiple work descriptions are provided to the Committee for consultation at the same time. 

The Committee agreed that when this happens, Chris Brother Di Liberatore and Sister Gardiner will advise Brother O’Brien of the need for an extension and Brother O’Brien will request same from Headquarters.  Should the employer continue to send multiple work descriptions, we will then consider the possibility of requesting leave with pay.

3. Specified Period Employees

Although this item remains as a standing item on our agenda and the Committee continues to meet as required with the CRA on matters related to specified period employees, there is nothing to report at this time. 

The Committee also wishes to remind locals that the moratorium with respect to term employees has now been lifted and that locals should remain vigilant with respect to conversion of term employees.

4. Performance Management Working Group (PMWG)

The Working Group has completed its mandate and has now been disbanded.  Notwithstanding this, items are raised with the CRA as they are referred to our Committee.  We will be afforded an opportunity to provide input on the employer’s final training package.  We have also asked that local and regional union representatives be invited to the training when delivered. No further action is required by the Committee at this time.

5. Performance Management Pilots (formerly known as Performance Management Pilot Pacific)

Brother O’Brien has followed up with the employer again to attempt to get an update on this pilot.  On January 24, 2014, the employer advised that it is still attempting to obtain an update and will provide us with same.

6. Staffing Policy Simplification Process

Brothers Khayat and O’Brien will be attending a pre-consultation meeting with the employer on January 30, 2014 to discuss a framework for consultation with respect to Phase II of Staffing Simplification.  Once this pre-consultation is finalized, a further consultation will take place with the employer.  This is tentatively scheduled for February 2014. 

Subsequent to this pre-consultation meeting, Brothers Khayat and O’Brien will speak to the National President on who should attend the February consultation meeting. 

The Committee noted that the National President has asked that we deliver a presentation on Staffing Simplification at the next Presidents’ Conference.  The Committee discussed what should be included in our presentation and identified the following issues:

SIGNIFICANT CHANGES

• No requirement to provide notice to terms at the end of the term;
• Right to be represented at Decision Review;
• Not required to consider internal candidates before staffing externally;
• Validity period for pools;
• No further assessment at the placement stage;
• There will be terminology changes;
• Greater emphasis on planning;
• Managers must establish a staffing process plan;
• Managers must create and maintain a staffing process file;
• Solicitation v. without solicitation process;
• Minimum area of selection for senior level positions has been removed;
• Performance level a new staffing requirement minimum;
• “Bilingual Conditional” language requirement;
• 9 calendar days instead of 7 to request recourse;
• Managers must issue a written decision for recourse;
• Appointment from a term rehire pool no longer subject to recourse;
• Probation may be extended due to leave-related absence, full-time language training, or other reasons deemed necessary;
• Dependability may once again include attendance at work; compatibility with colleagues and clients; adherence to the CRA Code of Ethics and Conduct
• Managers must send staffing files to their Resourcing Advisor for monitoring and reporting purposes (greater accountability by managers and greater authority for HR)

The framework for our presentation will be:

• Overview of purpose of Staffing Simplification;
• Effective date of Simplification;
• Validity Period for Pools;
• Positive changes;
• Negative or adverse changes;
• UTE issues ignored by CRA;
• Highlight of significant changes.

Brother O’Brien will draft the presentation in English and Brother Khayat will prepare the French by mid-February 2014.

The Committee also discussed the fact that communications from the employer concerning Staffing Policy Simplification are inconsistent across the country. 

Brother Khayat will send an email to Council suggesting that RVPs communicate with their locals to ensure that employees receive proper training. 

We will also prepare an article for the UTE newsletter about Staffing Policy Simplification.

7. Standardized Testing

The CRA provided a status report in August 2012 and a final report in March 2013 concerning the pilot related to the Writing Skills Test.  The Pilots were implemented in Winnipeg, Laval, Summerside, Shawinigan, Appeals Branch and LPRAB (Legislative Policy and Regulatory Affairs Branch). 

The project was determined by the CRA to be successful and the online testing is now available for internal and external candidates.

No further action is required at this time and this item will now be removed from our agenda.

8. Observe and Attest

To date, we will have not received an official status report on the progress of the review of Observe and Attest initiative.  This matter will be raised by the Committee during our discussions with the employer concerning Staffing Policy Simplification.

9. Meetings with Taxpayer Services Debt management Branch (TSDMB)

See attached document concerning UTE’s notes of our meeting.