President's Report - Executive Council

COLLECTIVE BARGAINING:

We held a series of in-person and virtual strike voting sessions until early April. On Friday April 7, the results of the votes were announced. To no one's surprise, the 44.5% participation rate and the 92% support rate in favour of giving us a strike mandate were the highest within the PSAC. Members of the other four (4) PSAC bargaining units reporting directly to Treasury Board also voted in favour of a strike mandate.

Following these results, the PSAC, as bargaining agent, decided to take strike action as of Wednesday, April 19. The decision was to move immediately to an unlimited general strike. 
From the outset, our members turned out in large numbers on the picket lines, demonstrating incredible solidarity and support for their bargaining team. Our Locals also responded exceptionally well, working with PSAC employees to set up picket lines across the country. Executive Council officers also worked hard to support our Locals and members.
For UTE members, the strike ended on Wednesday, May 3, with the conclusion of a tentative agreement between our negotiating team and that of the CRA. It has been a very difficult and bumpy ride. The weather did not cooperate at all. Our members had to deal with rain, wind, snow and even hail. No matter, our members and union reps held their ground and showed their resilience.

I want to tell you in all sincerity that I am EXTREMELY proud of our members and all our union representatives who fought with strength and determination to obtain a new, fair and equitable labour contract.

Meanwhile, members of other bargaining units also fought for a new contract. Their negotiating teams reached tentative agreements on Sunday, April 30. While I'm happy for them that they were able to reach these agreements, the fact that our bargaining team and our members were on their own against CRA and Treasury Board didn't make things any easier for us.
The behaviour of Treasury Board, which has literally prevented the Canada Revenue Agency from fully negotiating with our bargaining team for over a year and a half, and even during the strike, is repugnant to me. It's clearer than ever that the spring 2012 change to the CRA Act by Stephen Harper's Conservative government prevents our bargaining unit from being able to negotiate freely and directly with the CRA.

For the future well-being of our members, and to truly enjoy our right to collective bargaining as recognized by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, it is imperative for us to put forward a strong political action campaign over the coming months to demand that a new change be made to the CRA Act to remove or amend its section 58, which gives the President of the Treasury Board the power to dictate the pace of our negotiations.

The course of the strike has brought its share of logistical challenges for both PSAC and Components. There have been many missteps and delays, and post-mortems will have to be made in the near future, both within the UTE and the PSAC.

At the time of writing these lines, ratification votes on the tentative agreement are beginning and will continue until Friday, June 16. The final vote results will be announced the same day.

I would like to extend my warmest thanks to all the members of our negotiating team, who worked tirelessly, spending many days and endless hours negotiating with the employer to secure the best possible agreement.

Under extremely difficult conditions, our negotiating team succeeded in reaching a fair and reasonable agreement. The team unanimously recommended acceptance of this agreement and, as UTE National President, I fully support their recommendation.

Once again, many thanks to our members for their unwavering support for their negotiating team and their incredible solidarity and bravery. Our members were simply exemplary. We couldn't have asked for better.

The same goes for our locals and Executive Council officers. Everyone worked tirelessly. Many didn't get much sleep before and during the strike. You organized numerous activities, helped PSAC representatives on the picket lines, comforted our members and answered their many questions and concerns. Many of you also gave media interviews.

You did a remarkable job, for which I am eternally grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

MEDIA INTERVIEWS:

From the announcement of the strike vote results on Friday April 7 to the conclusion of the strike on Wednesday May 3, I gave a phenomenal number of interviews to the media (Internet, radio and television). It's been a real rollercoaster ride.

The fact that the strike is taking place mainly during the peak tax filing period has generated a lot of media interest.

To name just a few, I gave multiple interviews in English and French to Radio-Canada, CBC, CTV, Global, the Ottawa Citizen, the Hill Times, Noovo télé, TVA, La Presse Canadienne, le Journal de Montréal, La Presse, Le Devoir, Le Droit, the Canadian Press, the Toronto Star, as well as a multitude of radio stations and other media outlets across the country.

In all these interviews, I proudly defended the work done by our members and the decisions made by our bargaining team and our union, and fiercely rebuked the federal government, Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency for their incredible lack of respect for our members. At one point, the contempt was such that I felt the need to demand that the President of the Treasury Board, the Honourable Mona Fortier, resign from her position given her stubbornness in undermining our negotiations by refusing to give CRA a new mandate to negotiate. I also took Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to task for their respective roles in this round of negotiations.

When I was elected National President of our union in July 2017 and when I was re-elected in July 2021, I always said that I wanted the Union of Taxation Employees to step out of the shadow of the PSAC and gain more visibility with the media, the general public and the political parties so that we would be recognized for our true worth and our members would be proud of their union and see and hear their leaders defend their interests and rights fiercely and publicly. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this is mission accomplished.

I'd also like to thank all the representatives within our union, whether at national, regional or local level, who also spoke out publicly and gave media interviews during the strike. You did a great job! We congratulate you! 

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETINGS (AGMs):

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) period was in full swing when the strike occurred. This forced the suspension and postponement of several AGMs.

During the period covered by this report, I still attended several of these meetings as guest speaker for the national UTE. The member participation rate is excellent, and they ask a lot of questions - excellent questions, in fact! Our members are engaged and it's great to see. These meetings with members are still one of my favorite activities as National President of our union. There's nothing I enjoy more than hearing from members directly, and getting their views on the various issues that interest or concern them.

Once again, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the local executive officers and local delegates for their excellent work in preparing the AGMs and running the meetings.

Everything generally goes very smoothly, and all credit goes to our local sections.

Several other meetings are scheduled for this spring.

Once again, I'd like to thank our information technology specialist, Alex Thon, and the various technicians at Electronic Language Communications Ltd. (ELC) for their excellent technical support during the meetings. And I'd also like to thank our Web/Communications Officer, Susan Duncan, for her excellent work in assisting locals in their preparations for the AGMs.

MEETINGS WITH THE CRA CHIEF HUMAN RESOURCES OFFICER:

I continue to have frequent discussions with the Agency's Chief Human Resources Officer about important issues and current topics.

MEETING WITH THE CRA COMMISSIONER:

On April 6, I met with the Agency Commissioner to discuss the impending strike on the eve of the unveiling of the strike vote results.

MEETING WITH THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL REVENUE:

On May 18, I had a meeting with Canada's Minister of National Revenue, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier. We mainly discussed contract negotiations and the strike.

STAFFING AT THE NATIONAL OFFICE:

Following the hiring of Kristina Cooke as Labour Relations Officer, we are currently conducting a workload analysis to determine whether we will make an offer to the next successful candidate to increase the number of Labour Relations Officers to five (5).

With regard to the two (2) administrative support positions we wish to fill, as well as the upcoming replacement of Brother Shane O'Brien as Senior Labour Relations Officer (SLRO), Brother O'Brien's involvement with our bargaining team has delayed both of these processes.

At the time of writing these lines, we have reopened the administrative support staffing process and are now in the final stages of offering permanent employment to the two successful candidates. We expect to be able to integrate these new employees in late June or early July.

Please note that we expect to post the position of Senior Labour Relations Officer during the week of June 19.

Finally, we will also be conducting a staffing process in the near future to recruit a Communications and Media Relations Officer.

CONVENTION COMMITTEES AND THE 19th UTE NATIONAL TRIENNIAL CONVENTION:

The sessions of the four (4) convention committees went very well. The committees deliberated on the resolutions. Each committee chair submitted their report to the national office in both official languages within the established deadlines. I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the excellent participation and commitment of all delegates during the deliberations of the various committees. I would also like to acknowledge the excellent work done by my administrative assistant, Guylène Lepage, and by the administrative support staff at the national office in planning and organizing these meetings.

The National Convention, to be held in Winnipeg in August, is fast approaching, and preparations are well underway at the National Office. We've started preparing report books on the convention resolutions, bags for conventioneers and items for sale at the store. We are also preparing travel grants for locals, as well as advances for delegates and observers paid entirely by the UTE. We also continue to work with the convention host committee.

As mentioned in my previous report, it's been four (4) years since our last preparatory visit to Winnipeg. That's why we returned in April for discussions with Fairmont and Radisson hotel executives. We took the opportunity to visit the site for logistical reasons, to ensure that all our requirements would be met to ensure the success of the convention.

We invite you to continue watching our series of Convention Bulletins to stay informed. Also visit the UTE 2023 Convention website for more information.

PSAC REGIONAL CONVENTIONS:

PSAC Regional Conventions have begun. So far, I've attended the regional convention for the British Columbia region. I will also be attending regional conventions in other PSAC regions in the coming weeks.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE CANADIAN LABOUR CONGRESS (CLC):

Most of the Executive Council members and I attended the 30th General Assembly of the Canadian Labour Congress, held in Montreal a few weeks ago. PSAC member and activist Larry Rousseau was re-elected Executive Vice-President. Congratulations to Brother Rousseau.

At the meeting, the other incumbents, including President Bea Bruske, were also re-elected for a second term.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

This is my last report to the Executive Council as National President for the current term. It has been a real honour and privilege to serve in this capacity for a second consecutive term, and I am delighted and grateful to have worked closely with each and every one of the Executive Council officers over the past two (2) years. I would like to thank you sincerely for your hard work and friendship and wish each and every one of you every success in your future endeavours. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Sister Andria Cullen, outgoing Regional Vice-President for the Greater Toronto Region, and Brother Greg Krokosh, outgoing Regional Vice-President for the Rocky Mountains Region, who will not be seeking re-election, every success in their future endeavours.

I've also had the opportunity to meet and talk frequently with our local representatives on a variety of occasions. Whether at national or regional conferences, at annual general meetings in person or virtually, at strike votes, on the picket line and finally at ratification votes, I've experienced a great deal of pleasure and pride, and have witnessed the passion and dedication of our activists. It's heart-warming, and I'd like to thank you once again for your excellent work and your exceptional dedication to our members.

I've also had the chance to meet many of our members at annual general meetings, in person and virtually, at strike votes, on the picket line and finally at ratification votes. I'm always delighted to be able to speak directly with members and hear what they have to say on the issues that are important to them. It keeps me in touch with reality and gives me a better understanding of what they do on a daily basis and the problems they face. I was absolutely delighted to meet and talk with so many of our members.

I would also like to thank the entire National Office staff for their excellent work and dedication to our members. As usual, they provided a professional and quality service.

Thanks also to our First National Vice-President, Brother Doug Gaetz, for his support, friendship and advice during my term of office. Doug has a wealth of experience, and he doesn't hesitate to share it with me. As the second-highest ranking officer in our organization, Doug has been called upon to stand in for me and has always done so willingly. I really appreciate his support and know I can count on him. Thank you, Doug!

I'd also like to thank a few people in particular who have worked closely with me at the National Office and at Executive Council meetings and national conferences. They are my Administrative Assistant, Guylène Lepage, my Executive Assistant, Daniel Camara, and our Senior Labour Relations Officer, Shane O'Brien.

Guylène is the person who made sure I always had what I needed, no questions asked. She came to the office during a very busy period and had to learn the job on the job. Thank you Guylène for everything you do! I really appreciate it.

As for Daniel, he provides me with constant, invaluable support and handles a host of very important files and details. Whether it's my interactions with Executive Council officers, Locals, National Office staff, our many interactions with CRA or the Minister of National Revenue's office, with the PSAC or other Components, negotiating hotel contracts or dealing with the media, I know I can always count on Daniel for help and support. Many thanks Daniel!

And finally, Shane. Where to start? First of all, he was kind enough to postpone his retirement plans for a year, for which I'll be eternally grateful. He was always able to share his vast experience with me and give me sound advice. Shane O'Brien is without doubt one of the finest strategists I have ever met. He works extremely hard and really cares about our members and our union. Shane always speaks his mind and has continually pushed me to become better. He knows a good thing when he sees it, but doesn't hesitate to offer constructive criticism if things aren't working out to his liking. I really appreciate his outspokenness, passion and dedication to our union and its members. I know I can always count on him. Shane, I wish you a long, happy and healthy retirement. You so deserve it, dear Brother! Thank you very much, Shane!

Of course, I'll have more to say at the convention this summer, and more to write in my National President's Report for the convention.

Respectfully submitted,

Marc Brière 
National President

INFORMATION/TECHNOLOGY:

All IT systems have been running well. Regular software maintenance of computers, servers and network was performed.  

WEB/COMMUNICATIONS:

Our website is working well.  We are still fielding questions about strike pay and voting credentials. Our Web/Communications Officer, Susan Duncan now has access to the membership system.

We produced two videos during this quarter.  The first was a compilation of messages from members of the bargaining team.  The second was a message from the national president.
We have ordered the banners and ballot books for convention. 

Work continues on the new website, despite our limited ability to work on it during the strike.  Our tentative date to go live is June 20th.

DONATIONS / SPONSORSHIPS

As of May 29, 2023

Non-UTE Union Events

As of May 29, 2023

GRIEVANCE:

GRIEVANCE REPORT
MARCH 1st to MAY 30TH, 2023

During Q1, seventeen (17) new grievances were received in the National office. Fifty-two (52) grievances were presented. Fifty-three (53) final level reply was received from CRA, thirty-eight (38) were denied, two (2) was partially allowed, fourteen (14) were withdrawn and eighteen (18) were closed.

1. Grievance hearing was held in February 2023. We are awaiting a response from the employer.
2. Three grievances awaiting disposition of unfair labor complaint. We will now proceed to schedule these grievances for hearings.
3. One grievance held in abeyance pending disposition unfair labor practice complaint and we will now proceed to schedule this grievance for hearing. One grievance held in abeyance pending claim for damages arising from Phoenix pay issues.
4. Grievance to be held in abeyance pending resolution of discussions with Compensation. Discussions are ongoing with the grievor to determine if she still wishes to proceed.
5. Reply held in abeyance with the agreement of the grievor pending replies to 2 related grievances where the grievor represent himself. Follow-ups have been made with the grievor, in order for us to proceed but grievor has yet to present these grievances. 

There are presently one hundred fifty-one (151) grievances in the National Office inventory which have not yet been presented at the Final Level dealing with a variety of issues.

POLICY GRIEVANCES

The Policy grievance dealing with the Employers Return to Work Directive received during the last quarter will be heard shortly. However, this may be withdrawn if the tentative agreement is accepted by the members in accordance with the Return-to-Work Protocol negotiated with the employer at the conclusion of negotiations and in consideration of the agreement on telework.

CLASSIFICATION GRIEVANCES

There were no new classification grievances filed during this period.

INDEPENDENT THIRD-PARTY REVIEWS (ITPRs)

There were no new ITPR grievances filed during this period.

CRA POLICY GRIEVANCES

There were no new CRA policy grievances filed during this period.

STATUTORY FREEZE COMPLAINT

As a result of the CRA unilateral actions in scheduling extended Hours of Work, and scheduling Saturday work without overtime compensation, we were successful in persuading the PSAC to file a Statutory Freeze complaint against the CRA. Brother O’Brien worked in collaboration with PSAC Legal Services and outside Legal Counsel in the submission of the complaint which was filed on March 14, 2022. This complaint was heard by the Public Service Labor Relation and Employment Board from January 9 to 12, 2023.

We have since received a favorable decision from the Board allowing our complaint, but providing little in the way of remedy, other than a declaration that the employer had committed an unfair labour practice. We have, however, concurrently filed a policy grievance on the matter and we will be seeking remedy through the policy grievance.

National President
ITINERARY REPORT – JUNE 2023
MARC BRIÈRE

Acronyms:

AGM - Annual general meeting
B.-C. – British Columbia
CPAC – Cable Public Affairs Channel
CRA - Canada Revenue Agency
HRB – Human Resources Branch
NBoD -National Board of Directors
NSCC - National Strategy/Strike Co-ordinating Committee
PSAC -Public Service Alliance of Canada
UTE -Union of Taxation Employees
NCSS - National Strategy/Strike Co-ordinating Committee
PSAC - Public Service Alliance of Canada
QUB LCN - Québec Le Canal Nouvelles
RDI – Le Réseau de l’Information
TSO – Tax Services Office
UTE - Union of Taxation Employees

Respectfully submitted,

Marc Brière
National President

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