Report of the President - Executive Council

Bob Campbell - Item 6

Collective Bargaining - The tentative agreement was accepted by the membership and the new contract was signed on October 25, 2016, six days before it expired. The CRA has committed to having bi-weekly meetings with the UTE during the 150-day implementation period. The goal of these meetings is to provide UTE with updates regarding the status of the implementation process (i.e. lump sum, retroactive salary and severance payments). There have been discussions with management in regards to supplying a detailed calculation of retro payments and a payment in lieu of Severance calculator. Management has committed to investigate these possibilities. 
I have indicated to CRA management that it is my wish to have a cooling-off period before embarking on the next round of negotiations.

Our priority now is a campaign to lobby the Government to return the CRA to its former independent bargaining status.  We have proven in the past this is the best for the Agency and its employees.

BILL C-10 CHALLENGE - In mid-August, the Ontario Court of Appeal upheld the Ontario Superior Court decision that Bill C-10, the Expenditure Restraint Act, did not violate our Charter rights. Bill C-10, passed by the former Conservative government in 2009, rolled back negotiated wage increases for our members for years 2011 and 2012. In mid-October, the PSAC applied for leave to appeal this decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. According to the PSAC, our chances of being granted leave are 50-50. The main obstacle to not being granted leave to challenge for us is the fact that the Supreme Court has already heard the challenge of the Expenditure Restraint Act that was filed by the RCMP (not a union).

PHOENIX ISSUES - Our members continue to suffer as a result of the new Phoenix Pay System. To alleviate that suffering, I have struck an Ad Hoc Committee that will address those issues with CRA management. Their first meeting was November 2 and 3, 2016, where issues were identified in order to be referred to the CRA.

AGMS - As can be easily seen from my itinerary, the AGM season is upon us once again. We would ask the Locals to coordinate their AGMs with other Locals in the same region to facilitate travel by our National Officers and to ensure a National Officer presence at every AGM.

UTE TRIENNIAL CONVENTION  -   The 2017 Convention Host Committee is now being chaired by Sister Andrea Kaiser. The Committee is making excellent progress. They have secured a location for Fun Night activities, and the Executive Council approved their Host Committee Budget submission in September. Convention activities, mail outs and deadlines begin in earnest in the New Year, so please watch carefully for updates in the coming weeks and months. Convention dates are July 19th to 22nd in the great city of Ottawa.

Meetings with CRA -  We have had very few meetings with CRA over the past two years, due to our self-imposed moratorium during negotiations. The Executive Council passed a resolution to return to consultations with the CRA, and I have written a letter to the new CRA Commissioner, Bob Hamilton, to advise that UTE has returned to the joint consultation and committee table, at all levels.

WEB/COMMUNICATIONS -  Our website is working well.  In October, we worked with the Communications Committee to update both the New Member PowerPoint presentation and the two booklets which form part of the New Member’s kit.  The former will be available shortly and the booklets should be ready in January.  This quarter has been busy but we are catching up.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY -  All IT systems have been running well. Regular software maintenance of internal computers, servers and network was performed. We purchased a new server to replace a server which was out of warranty. We replaced the batteries in our UPS for the server room. We also purchased new printers for the National President, 1st National Vice-President, finance staff and a colour printer for the National Office. These replaced printers that were 6-8 years old. We purchased new multi-function printers for the RVPs for their home office. These also replaced printers that were 8 years old. Our Microsoft Office365 and Symantec anti-virus subscriptions were renewed for another year.

DONATION / SPONSORSHIPS -  November 22, 2016

NON-UTE EVENTS – November 22, 2016

GRIEVANCES

Since our last Executive Council meeting, the National Office received fifty-seven (57) grievances, other than classification.  During the same period, three hundred and fifty (350) grievances were presented dealing with a variety of issues, including hours of work, Article 1 and bargaining. In this quarter, we received three hundred and forty-five (345) grievance replies from CRA, four (4) of which were allowed or partially allowed and thirty-five (35) were denied.  Three hundred and five (305) grievances were withdrawn by the grievor and/or UTE. These include many Article 1 and bargaining grievances, as agreed in the Memorandum of Settlement for the new Collective Agreement.

1. Grievance held in abeyance at request of PSAC pending judicial review of WSIB appeal. Grievances still awaiting information from ATIP.  Complaint will be filed with the Privacy Commissioner.
2. Grievance awaiting information from ATIP.
3. 105 of these grievances are related to hours of work.
4. Settlement reached – awaiting implementation of provisions of agreement.
5. One grievor is uncooperative and has failed to date to provide necessary information concerning her termination.  Three other grievances are being held in abeyance at the grievor’s request pending a CHRC complaint.
6. Three grievances are held in abeyance at the request of grievor and legal counsel pending the grievor’s criminal trial. Three other grievances are held in abeyance pending the completion of an MOA that will exist until Sept 2017.

*Many of these grievances were previously recorded as group grievances and dealt with hours of work.  It later became necessary to record these as individual grievances, as the Agency allowed some and denied others.  Some have not been presented to date or are waiting reply.

There are presently one hundred and ninety-seven (197) grievances in the National Office inventory which have not yet been presented at the Final Level. Included in this number are one hundred and five (105) grievances dealing with Hours of Work, ten (10) with PSTAR and eighteen (18) with Article 19.

With respect to the 10 PSTAR grievances, we have recently concluded a Memorandum of Settlement and these grievances will be withdrawn when the terms of the settlement are implemented.

POLICY GRIEVANCE

There were no new policy grievances filed during this period.

CLASSIFICATION GRIEVANCES

We did not receive any new classification grievances received during this quarter.

INDEPENDENT THIRD PARTY REVIEWS (ITPRs)

During this quarter, the National Office presented two ITPRs which were allowed.  Also, during this quarter one new ITPR was received in the National Office concerning staffing.

There is currently one (1) staffing ITPR in our inventory requiring representation by the National Office.

CRA POLICY REVIEW GRIEVANCES

Currently there is one CRA Policy Grievance in our inventory which has yet to be presented.

November 22, 2016

President’s Itinerary
DECEMBER 2016

SEPTEMBER

6                      Local 30024 Ratification Vote                                            Red Deer
7-9                  Local 30025 Ratification Vote                                            Edmonton
12-13              Locals 50021, 50031, 50032 Ratification Votes             Winnipeg
14-15              Local 40022 Ratification vote                                            Regina
19-21              UTE Executive Council Meeting                                       Ottawa
22-25              UTE Presidents’ Conference                                             Ottawa
26-27              Local 60005 Ratification Vote                                            Saint John
28-29              Local 60008 Ratification Vote                                            Moncton
30                    UTE Management Meeting                                                Ottawa

OCTOBER
3                      Local 60005 Ratification Vote                                            By telephone
4-5                  PSAC NBoD Meeting                                                          Ottawa
13-16              UTE National EO Conference                                           Ottawa
17                    Telephone Call with New CRA Commissioner               Ottawa
19                    Local 50032 AGM                                                                Winnipeg
20-21              Local 50031 AGM                                                                Winnipeg
25                    Local 80004  AGM                                                               Sydney
26                    Local 00051 AGM                                                                Toronto
27-28              Local 00052 AGM                                                                Barrie
29-30              Local 60005 AGM                                                                Saint John

NOVEMBER
1-2                  Local 90006 AGM                                                                Summerside
3-4                  Local 90002 AGM                                                                Charlottetown
8                      Local 90000 AGM                                                                St. John’s
9-10                Local 90001 AGM                                                                St. John’s

MEMBERSHIP -

Respectfully submitted,

Bob Campbell
National President