The federal government wants to force employees to work in ill-equipped offices three days per week only to spend it on virtual meetings. But we know there’s a better way. The outlook for Canada’s public service is bright, and we’re ready to embrace a new future of work.
Are you ready to join us?
Hello Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
Today, September 9, 2024, the new and updated Direction on prescribed presence in the Workplace comes into effect. Some of you will now see an increase in the number of days you are required to work on-site, while others return to the office for the first time in several years of full-time teleworking.
Sisters, Brothers, and Friends,
Dear Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
Late yesterday afternoon, we were informed by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) that the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat had informed them that the federal government had decided to increase the mandatory presence in the office of its public service workers to four days a week as of July 6, 2026, while executives will be required to be in the office five days a week as of May 4, 2026.
A few minutes later, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) sent us the same news.
Today, the PSAC moved forward with the filing of an unfair labour practice complaint against the government. The PSAC filed a statutory freeze complaint: an action that can be taken when an employer unilaterally changes terms and conditions of work while the parties are in bargaining.
This unfair labour practice complaint was filed against the Treasury Board and, on behalf of UTE, against the Canada Revenue Agency.
In 2021, policy grievances were filed challenging aspects of the federal government’s COVID-19 vaccination policies, including the continued placement of some employees on administrative leave without pay and the application of the policy to employees working remotely.
The Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) has now issued its decision on the employers’ objections to jurisdiction.
The Board ruled that:
We fought and won a commitment from this government that would protect public service workers from arbitrary government-wide decisions on telework just like this one. That Letter of Agreement on Telework was critical to ending PSAC’s strike for the PA, SV, TC, and EB units as well as the Canada Revenue Agency.
Sisters, Brothers, and Friends,
Update on the Joint Consultation Committee between the CRA and UTE on the review of the Directive on Virtual Work Arrangements
Sisters, Brothers and Friends,
As you probably know, during the last round of collective bargaining and after taking strike action, the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) entered into a Letter of Agreement that called for the creation of a Joint Consultation Committee to examine and make recommendations with respect to Virtual Work Arrangements and Remote Work.
Further to the Letter of Agreement concluded during the last round of bargaining, the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have now established the Joint Consultation Committee on the Directive on Virtual Work Arrangements and have agreed to convene its first meeting on Thursday, September 7, 2023. Both parties have decided that the Committee will be comprised of four representatives from UTE and four from CRA.
UTE’s representatives will be as follows:
