We have achieved a major success in our challenge to CRA's arbitrary plans to force a thousand of our AFS members in the GTA to relocate. Due to the efforts of our stewards and members, we were notified on August 15th that CRA intends to go back to their objectives and consult with us on how to achieve those objectives.
In late June CRA had announced detailed plans to relocate numerous work units resulting in a thousand of our AFS members having to move or incur significant costs and sacrifices to continue in their jobs. In violation of our AFS Collective Agreement, CRA took these actions without prior consultation with the AFS Group and without enacting our WFA Relocation of a Work Unit provisions.
In response to these announcements, we quickly mobilized our AFS members. Town hall meetings were held; over a thousand names were collected on a petition to the House of Commons; over a thousand grievances were filed; a large number of messages were sent to MPs; our Minister; the Prime Minister and senior officials at CRA. We also made personal contact with our CRA Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner. It is now obvious that all of these efforts have in fact paid off.
Thanks to Debi Daviau; our PIPSC staff; our AFS stewards; and especially all of our AFS members who stood up and said "We will not be moved!"
In Solidarity,
Doug Mason
AFS President