The Union of Taxation Employees (UTE), which represents some 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees, has expressed disappointment with the tax body’s move to file a labour practices complaint against them with the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board. The CRA is claiming that the union is not bargaining in good faith and wants it compelled to return to the bargaining table before being allowed to proceed with any strike.
Both parties were to undertake mediation in December 2022 over return-to-work negotiations centred on issues including remote work, long commutes, child care, and wages. However, the union pulled out of talks following a return-to-work order issued by the Treasury Board that required CRA employees to return to in-person work from January 16.
According to UTE national president, Marc Briere, the union had reached a bargaining impasse due to a failure by the CRA to provide a wage offer. The return-to-work order exacerbated the situation, and when the CRA refused to withdraw this demand, the union, in turn, withdrew from mediation. Briere stated that employees that need to be in the office already are and those able to work effectively from home should not be mandated to return.
Shortly before the labour complaint was filed, UTE had confirmed that it would launch strike votes to be carried out from January 31 to April 7. If successful, Briere has said the union would be in a legal position to strike in April. There are concerns that if a strike does occur, it would badly affect the tax filing season and cause the CRA to come to a standstill.
Briere has said that bargaining between the union and the CRA has been strained for years but they had hoped with their efforts during the pandemic, the last round of negotiations would have provided a better outcome. He has termed the labour complaint by the CRA as insulting.
UTE local president for Sudbury and North Bay, Chris Foucault, said that employee expectations had changed during the pandemic thanks to the adopted work-from-home formula. He noted that the government grew even more flexible by hiring staff from anywhere in Ontario and that it was now unreasonable to expect employees to spend hours in daily commutes to Sudbury. He also highlighted childcare complications and wage increases as other key concerns.
Although the labour complaint by the federal government indicates that the problem is with the union not making a reasonable effort to enter into a collective agreement, the union has responded by pointing out how the government has dragged its feet on several previous agreements.
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