For Immediate Release

CRA GTA modernisation plan risks harming staff and service, says PIPSC

Ottawa, August 2, 2017 – Canada Revenue Agency’s plan to centre the expertise of its Greater Toronto Area (GTA) operations within four different locations risks harming staff recruitment and retention as well as taxpayer services, says the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC).

In the May 24, 2017 communiqué, the AFS Group provided information concerning the settlement reached on May 9, 2017, in regard to the volunteer to personal day grievances.

The purpose of the present communiqué is to provide supplemental information to the May 24, 2017 communiqué.

Grievors

Your AFS Negotiation Team requested meeting dates as soon as possible following our last bargaining session held May 9-12.  On July 14th, CRA agreed to another bargaining session on September 19-21.  We look forward to resuming negotiations with the aim to conclude a collective agreement.

As previously communicated, we are continuing to pursue a Memorandum of Agreement that will commit the Agency to long overdue classification reform.  The work of our AFS members is evaluated on a discriminatory decades old classification system. It is time for this to change.

Since the Institute was informed about the Canada Revenue Agency’s Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Service Modernization initiative at the end of June, I have written to the Hon. Diane Lebouthiller, Minister of National Revenue, and Bob Hamilton, Commissioner of Revenue, to express our serious concerns about the negative impact this plan will have on some 1,000 PIPSC members and their families, and to call for a halt to the implementation of the CRA GTA Service Modernization Plan

GTA Service Modernization

To all AFS members in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA),

As you are aware, the CRA has begun rolling out its GTA Service Modernization initiative across the region.

Although the employer claims that this is not a Workforce Adjustment (WFA) situation, it will have a huge impact on nearly one thousand of our members in the GTA, who are understandably upset at a management decision taken without any input or consultation from their bargaining agent.

Dear AFS Members,

We have met with our AFS subgroup and CS zone presidents and they overwhelmingly support our continuing to fight for meaningful classification reform. We have a clear mandate in going forward.

Our AFS Bargaining Team is again requesting new bargaining dates from CRA to negotiate the two remaining issues still outstanding at the bargaining table, classification reform and pay. We would like to hold these meetings as soon as possible.

In solidarity,

AFS Bargaining Team

June 9, 2017

We have verified the results for the elections to positions on the AFS Group Executive. The following candidates were successful (names underlined) and will take office commencing July 1st, 2017:

CS Regional Representative:

Manny Costain - Acclaimed

Headquarters Region AFS Representative:

Brian Hassall 198
Kalim Kokozaki 038

Quebec Region AFS Representative:

Jean Couillard 153
Steve Parent 190

Employees of the Government of Canada will be celebrating National Public Service Week (NPSW) from June 11th to June 17th.

Our AFS Members should be proud of the important work that we do on behalf of all Canadians to maintain the integrity of our self assessment tax system that funds virtually every federal government program.