Federal union files complaint against CRA over work-from-home rules
One of Canada's largest unions representing public servants has filed a bad-faith bargaining complaint against the Canada Revenue Agency over what it's calling an "about-face" on the issue of working from home.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada filed the complaint over the issue of telework at the bargaining table, the union said in a news release.
The complaint comes as the federal Treasury Board's rules mandating federal public service workers return to the office at least two days a week are gradually being implemented across the government.
PIPSC said their negotiators and the CRA had exchanged proposals about working from home, which employees had been doing since March 2020.
However, at a bargaining meeting last month, the CRA said it no longer had any intention of including any work language in the collective agreement, PIPSC said.
"You cannot just remove a core issue from the table – which has been established as a top priority for members – and call it anything other than a bad faith maneuver," PIPSC President Jennifer Carr said in the news release. "The CRA's about-face subverts what has already been accomplished at the table and delays or even prevents the conclusion of an agreement."
PIPSC represents more than 14,000 AFS members employed at the CRA, and 70,000 members overall.
In a statement, a CRA spokesman said the agency is committed to reaching a new collective agreement that is fair to employees and respectful of Canadian taxpayers.
"The CRA intends to maintain key flexibilities in its application of its Directive on Virtual Work Arrangements," said Adam Blondin, the agency’s director of public affairs. "The CRA has continuously engaged the unions on how we will navigate our journey to a hybrid work environment, and will continue to do so."
The government instituted its new hybrid work model across the public service last month, requiring employees to work in the office two or three days a week. Many employees had been working remotely since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The shift is happening gradually, with all departments required to have the new hybrid work model in place by the end of March.
PIPSC and the Public Service Alliance of Canada have expressed staunch opposition to the plan, calling it a one-size-fits all approach.
"The pandemic forced governments to modernize labour practices, and these practices need to be embedded into employee contracts," Carr said. "It protects everyone. It's just good labour practice."
PSAC filed its own labour board complaint against the federal government in December over the hybrid work plan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Canucks claw out 5-4 comeback win over Oilers in Game 1
Dakota Joshua had a goal and two assists and the Vancouver Canucks scored three third-period goals to claw out a 5-4 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series Wednesday.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.