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Update from PSAC-UTE bargaining team as national strike continues

Since the strike began last week, talks with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have continued, including over the weekend and again yesterday. To date, we have successfully resolved some issues related to hours of work and information to be provided to PSAC so that the union can communicate and engage with the membership more easily and effectively. This is progress that we have realized so far because of the strike.

However, to date, we remain in dispute over key issues with the CRA. These include:

1. Telework: We are seeking language in our collective agreement so that our members have the right to telework arrangements, and if management says no, management must provide an explanation in writing, and if unreasonable, the union can challenge the decision. Other federal employers have agreed to this. CRA has to date taken the position that there is to be no language on telework in our collective agreement.

2. Compensation: We are seeking compensation that will address the cost of living and inflationary pressures. We are also looking for wage adjustments to bring our wages in line with our fellow public service employees. The employer’s position for compensation does not provide for such a wage adjustment and is far below inflation, which is unacceptable to us.

3. Job security: We are seeking protections that are in line with other collective agreements, including years of service recognition and protections against the contracting out of our jobs. The employer to date has said no to these proposals.

Our demands are reasonable. And we believe we will win this struggle with the government if we continue to stick together and stay strong. Those moments when we have been awaiting responses from management, we have been proud to walk the picket line with our CRA coworkers while here in Ottawa.

Together, we will overcome and make gains for workers. One day longer, one day stronger.

Your PSAC-UTE bargaining team:

• Adam Jackson (UTE Local 00011, Kingston, ON)
• Jamie van Sydenborgh (UTE Local 00014, Hamilton, ON)
• Kimberley Koch (UTE Local 20002, Prince George, BC)
• Andria Cullen (UTE Local 00013, Toronto, ON)
• Ashley Green (UTE Local 90000, St. John’s, NF)
• Eddy Aristil (UTE Local 10028, Laval, QC)
• David Lanthier (UTE Local 70000, Ottawa, ON)
• Dan Aiken (UTE Local 90002, Charlottetown, PEI)
• Brian Oldford (UTE Local 80003, Halifax, NS)
• Morgan Gay (PSAC-UTE Negotiator)
• Shane O’Brien (UTE Senior Labour Relations Officer)

For more information and to take part in strike action, visit workerscantwait.ca.

UTE Strike Pay Top-Up

Sisters, Brothers and Friends,

The Executive Council of the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) held a special meeting today (Sunday) to discuss the top-up of strike pay for our UTE members who have been participating in the strike.

We are pleased to announce that members who are on strike and receiving strike pay from the PSAC will receive a top up of $50 per day from UTE, effective Monday, April 24, 2023. Having said this, it will be necessary to closely monitor these additional payments and to ensure that these top-ups will not deplete the financial resources available to the union to continue to deliver services to its members in other matters.

Pursuant to UTE By-Laws and Regulations, resolutions become effective upon passage of the resolution. Accordingly, this top-up will not be paid retroactively.

We have made arrangements with the PSAC that they will issue this top-up on our behalf and invoice us for the cost. Members will not have to do anything extra to receive this top-up.

This action was taken in order to provide you with additional financial support during the strike and to send a very strong message to Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency that UTE is fully committed to supporting the efforts of its members in achieving a fair and reasonable collective agreement.

In closing, I want to thank you again for your activism and collectivity in supporting your bargaining team.

Together we will prevail!

Strike Info Session Tonight at 6:30pm

Our brothers and sisters at UTE Local 00051 (GTA West TSO) are hosting a webinar along with a PSAC representative tonight at 6:30. This is a great opportunity to ask questions and get more information on a potential strike. Please check your inbox for more details (ensure you’re signed up for emails). If you do not receive it, send us an email.

Strike deadline announced for 155,000 PSAC members

We ask that you continue to stay posted on our local’s, UTE’s (ute-sei.org) and PSAC’s website (psacunion.ca) where updates on possible strike action will be posted. Information sessions may be scheduled for tomorrow, so please keep your eyes peeled here as well.

More than 155,000 PSAC members working for Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency will begin strike action on April 19 if a deal cannot be reached by 9 p.m. ET April 18 – setting the stage for one of the largest strikes in Canada’s history.

“We’ve made some progress at each of our four bargaining tables over the past two weeks, but we’re still too far apart on several key issues, including wages that keep up with the cost of living, job security and remote work language,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC National President.

“We’re committed to remaining at the table until a fair deal is reached for all our members – both for our 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency members who resume negotiations today, and our 120,000 Treasury Board members still at the table.”

PSAC members have been without a contract since negotiations with the federal government began in June 2021, and last week, voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action.

“These workers – like all workers – deserve fair wages and decent working conditions. Despite some progress at the bargaining table, our members are frustrated that while negotiations drag on, they continue to fall behind,” said Aylward.

“We’ve already been at the table for nearly two years, and these workers can’t wait any longer. That’s why we’re setting a clock on this round of bargaining.”

With so many federal public service workers potentially on strike as of April 19, Canadians can expect to see slowdowns or a complete shutdown of services nationwide, including a complete halt of the tax season, disruptions to employment insurance, immigration and passport applications; interruptions to supply chains and international trade at ports, harbours, and airports; and slowdowns at the border with administrative staff on strike.

UTE-PSAC MEMBERS PROVIDE OVERWHELMING STRIKE MANDATE

Workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) have voted overwhelmingly in favour of taking strike action on behalf of 35,000 workers represented by the Union of Taxation Employees and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

“Our members have sent a strong message to CRA,” said Chris Aylward, PSAC national president. “Workers can’t wait, and we’re ready to show this government we won’t let workers fall behind.”

Workers at CRA have been without a contract for more than a year while the cost of living has continued to soar. The government still has major concessions on the table, and has yet to respond to the union’s wage proposals.

A final round of negotiations has been set for April 17-20 between PSAC and Canada Revenue Agency. Members at CRA are in a legal strike position April 14.

“Our members are falling further behind as inflation soars and wages are stuck in neutral,” said Marc Brière, national president of the Union of Taxation Employees, a component of PSAC. “We’ve negotiated in good faith, but our members have had enough. Our bills are mounting, and our families are feeling the pinch. And now, we’re going to show the government that workers won’t wait.”

PSAC-UTE members stepped up during the pandemic, when Canadians needed it most — and delivered. They processed nearly 30 million CERB applications and provided historic financial relief to millions of people hardest hit by COVID-19.

“Tax season is here,” Mr. Brière said. “Going on strike is never our first choice. But securing a strong strike mandate now gives us the leverage we need to reach a fair and decent contract. And if we need to take job action to get the collective agreement our members deserve, that’s what we’re prepared to do.”

REGISTER TODAY FOR PSAC-UTE STRIKE VOTES

When Canadians needed us most during the pandemic, we delivered – processing nearly 30 million Canada Emergency Response Benefit applications and providing historic financial relief to millions of people hardest hit by COVID-19 while most of our members worked from home.

But the Canada Revenue Agency has shown a complete lack of respect for workers at the bargaining table by rejecting or ignoring every single one of our proposals on our most important issues, and you deserve better.

That’s why we’ve made the difficult decision to hold strike votes for our 35,000 hard-working members at Canada Revenue Agency from January 31 to April 7, 2023.

Register to vote

We need to hold the line on fair wages so that you aren’t left behind as the cost of living and inflation remains sky-high. We believe in good, secure public service jobs and need to put an end to contracting out at CRA. We’re pushing for protections against evening, weekend, and shift work. And we’ll continue to fight to enshrine remote work and the right to disconnect in our collective agreements for better work-life balance.

These aren’t unreasonable demands, and many of these improvements have already been agreed to by other federal employers since we settled our last contract. We provided the Agency with our wage proposal for fair wages in July, but despite having had numerous opportunities at the bargaining table, CRA never provided their counteroffer, and we simply can’t wait anymore.

To add insult to injury, the government imposed a flawed hybrid work plan on federal public service workers just days before the holidays, despite the fact we’re negotiating remote work at the table and that we’ve continued to serve Canadians effectively whether we’re working from home or the workplace.

You deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. The Agency’s stalling tactics and major concessions in bargaining are unacceptable, and are hurting our members and their families. That’s why we need the support of our more than 35,000 PSAC-UTE members. A strong strike mandate doesn’t automatically mean we'll call a strike. But it shows CRA that we're prepared to fight for a fair contract, and it’s the strongest tool we have to put pressure on the government to reach a deal.

Canada Revenue Agency has made a habit of dragging their feet through bargaining, leaving workers without a contract for three or four years at a time. It’s already been one year since our last agreement expired, and it’s starting to feel like Groundhog Day, so we need to put a stop to it because we can't wait another four years. Enough is enough.

Register to vote

Tax season is coming up, and it’s our best chance to take advantage of our bargaining power to win a fair contract. Going on strike is never our first choice. But securing a strong strike mandate from our membership will give us the leverage we need to reach a fair and decent contract. And if we need to take job action to get the collective agreement you deserve, then that’s exactly what we’ll do.

Together, we have the strength in numbers to fight for a contract that makes real gains for our members. This is our opportunity to make a meaningful difference in our workplaces, and we strongly urge you to vote in favour of a strike mandate. To give you as many opportunities as possible to participate in strike votes, we’ll be holding strike information sessions both in-person and virtually.

Your voting credentials will be sent to you by email or regular mail. You will need these credentials to register for a strike vote session. If you haven't received your voting credentials from PSAC by email or mail by January 31, you may need to update your contact information before you can register to vote.

Register today

PSAC Bargaining Team Tables Wage Proposals

PSAC-UTE members deserve fair wage increases and enhanced job protection, and our bargaining team is fighting for just that. The PSAC-UTE bargaining team met with the Canada Revenue Agency July 12-14 to continue negotiations for a new collective agreement. While there was considerable discussion, little progress is being made at the table.

The PSAC-UTE bargaining team tabled their wage proposals and is looking to achieve fair annual wage increases that – at a minimum – meet current inflationary trends.

Our team is also looking for a market adjustment that would close the gap between PSAC-UTE members and former co-workers at the Canada Border Services Agency. Members have worked hard during the pandemic, delivering financial relief to thousands of Canadians when it was needed most. Members deserve to be compensated appropriately. (view wage proposals on UTE's web site)
 

Protecting jobs against contracting out

Last year, the CRA contracted out work that would normally be done by PSAC-UTE members. This call centre work was contracted out to a low-wage American firm that has been accused of security breaches in the United States. PSAC-UTE successfully campaigned against this contract and it was not renewed. However, more than 200 jobs were eliminated as the result of contracting out by the CRA in the 2010s.

We are working towards a collective agreement that prevents the practice of contracting out. People doing the work of our members should be subject to – and have the benefit of – our collective agreement.

The CRA has rejected these proposals, but our union will hold its position.

Our bargaining team also tabled proposals that would greatly improve job security for union members, improve access to remote work opportunities, and ensure that years of service are properly recognized by the Agency.
 

Next steps

Our team expects a response to these proposals and the wage proposal when they return to the negotiating table in late August.

CRA management continues to seek concessions. Your PSAC-UTE bargaining team stressed that they are ready to negotiate, but are looking for improvements for our members, not steps backwards.

Filing a Notice of Objection for Phoenix Damages

When you receive your Notice of Assessment, there is a date on it. From that date, you have 90 days to file a Notice of Objection addressed to the chief of Appeals at your TSO. You can easily do this by simply going to your CRA My Account and click on filing an objection. My account can now be access by logging in using your bank login now. In your Notice of objection, you write the following:

A portion of the income reported on the my T4 for 2021 represents general damages paid under a settlement agreement negotiated by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) as compensation for stress, aggravation, and pain and suffering, payable to all members of PSAC in recognition of the effect of the Phoenix pay system and the delayed implementation of a collective agreement on the membership. The payment was not dependent upon or in any way related to any grievance previously filed by the myself, or any demonstrated financial loss suffered by myself. Rather, the payment was compensation for the stress felt by all employees, regardless of their personal circumstances, due to the delays, confusion, and general chaos that resulted from the Phoenix implementation. As such, the amounts received as damages for pain and suffering should not have been subject to tax. I asks that my 2021 tax return be reassessed to reflect the non-taxable nature of the general damages received of $2,500 form my employment income line 10101 pursuant to paragraph 81(1)(g.1) of the Income Tax Act.

SUBDIVISION G Amounts Not Included in Computing Income

Marginal note:Amounts not included in income

     81 (1) There shall not be included in computing the income of a taxpayer for a taxation year,

Income from personal injury award property

(g.1) the income for the year from any property acquired by or on behalf of a person as an award of, or pursuant to an action for, damages in respect of physical or mental injury to that person, or from any property substituted therefor and any taxable capital gain for the year from the disposition of any such property,

     (i) where the income was income from the property, if the income was earned in respect of a period before the end of the taxation year in which the person attained the age of 21 years, and

     (ii) in any other case, if the person was less than 21 years of age during any part of the year;

You then either wait for a reply where you will get a reassessment agreeing with your objection, or you will get a Notice of Confirmation stating the Assessment is correct.
If after 90 days that you filed your Notice of Objection you still have not received an answer, you can continue to wait, or your can now file a Notice of Appeal to the Tax Court of Canada. This can be done online also and your write the same text above.
If your receive a Notice of Confirmation from the chief of Appeals, you got 90 days from the date on the Notice of Confirmation to file a Notice of Appeal to the Tax Court of Canada.

If for good reasons you have passed the 90 days for filing a Notice of Objection to the Chief of Appeals, you have 1 year from the date of the 90^th day to file an Application to late file a Notice of Objection and you send that to the Chief of Appeals. In this application you indicate the reason you are late. If the reason is justified, the application will be granted, and they will consider your objection.
If your Application is not granted, you can file with the Tax Court of Canada the same Application to late file a Notice of Objection. Then a judge will decide if your reason is valid or not. If valid, the judge then issues a court order stating your application is valid and the chief of appeals is thus ordered to consider the objection.