Ontario Public Service

Taxing Times: A newsletter for OPSEU members working for the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Revenue

The OPSEU COR members continue to meet with the employer every other week to receive updates about the ongoing roll out of the processes whereby documents are being prepared and distributed to assist our members in getting the best available opportunities in the OPS and with the CRA. It is also in this forum that we are raising the issues that members and locals are forwarding to us.

In addition to the pending November 25 transition for the Wave 1 members, we are expecting the autumn to be a busy time for the Wave 2 members with the pending information sessions by the CRAa and pension trusts.

Looking for OPS jobs

Not all OPS jobs are posted on the OPS job website that is available to the public. All OPSEU represented jobs are posted on the government’s gojobs website.

gojobs has two faces that can be accessed: the internal face, which lists all jobs including those restricted or “open targeted,” and one that is for the public, which only contains jobs that are open to all applicants. If you are not in the offi ce for an extended period of time, and would still like to review the jobs that are being posted, you can access them from your home computer and going to the site http:// www.gojobs.gov.on.ca/ALLJobs.aspx This is of particular importance to those of you are looking for redeployment through advanced direct assignment or those who have been surplussed.

CTAR and OCCS impacted staff

We are continuing to work on fi nding soft landings for all of our members impacted by the employer’s decision to divest and downsize the Corporations Tax and Ontario Child Care Supplement. From a high of over 200 members on the surplus list, there are now less than 50 members facing layoff between now and 2015. We continue working to match these members with OPS positions, including through the advanced direct assignment process.

Wave 1 and accommodation plans

Members in Wave 1 who will be going to CRA and have a medical accommodation in place with the Ministry need to make sure that it is in writing and refl ects everything in the plan. If you do accept the job offer with CRA, it will need to have a copy of the plan by Mid August to ensure that the necessary provisions in place when you start on November 25. Please make sure that you have reviewed your accommodation plans with your manager.

Wave 2 employees working part time

If you currently hold a part time position and are impacted in Wave 2, you will have the option of being offered a full time position with CRA through this transition. You should have been provided with an election form that you need to complete and return to the Ministry. If your home position is part time (RPT), and you didn’t get a copy of this form, contact your Ministry CMTA or your OPSEU COR Working Group member.

Filling vacancies

In a recent announcement by the employer, the deputy minister stated that the freeze on hiring will end in mid August. Although this means that our employer will start hiring for some positions in the Ministry, it does not represent a wholesale fi lling of a multitude of vacancies. As far as we have been told, actual jobs have not been identifi ed for fi lling at this time. Any position that does come up in the OPSEU bargaining unit will be available for matching to staff who have received surplus notice, or who are actively on the advanced redeployment listing.

The employer has also started hiring temporary staff to help in the wind down of Retail Sales Tax in the form of collections and audit staff. Many of the positions are advertised as “Open Targeted.” We have been told that this means that the advertisement will not be available everywhere, nor will be included in the large national papers. They are available to all staff working in the OPS.

In these days of government constraint the employer has told us that there will not be an abundance of jobs that will be posted and filled in the OPS.

Article 53/78 policy grievance

We had a hearing at the Grievance Settlement Board with respect to the cut off date of December 31, 2008 for the accumulation of severance entitlement for people who resign to accept a CRA job offer. The employer’s position is that members who resign to take a CRA position should only get the severance pay for their employment up to December 31, 2008. OPSEU told the arbitrator that we do not believe that you are volunteering to resign when you are part of a divestment such as this and accordingly the period for which a member should get severance is right up to the date she/he leaves the OPS. We are awaiting the decision of the arbitrator, and will let you know as soon as we have it.

Not accepting a Wave 1 job offer?

Those who do not accept a job offer in Wave 1 will be surplussed. The employer advised that it will be issuing surplus notices to these staff in the near future. Members need to know that the employer will be requiring staff to work the notice period. The work that you are requested to do may be reasonable alternate work to what you do on a regular basis. It should be consistent with your normal job, but may not be the exact same work that you have always done.

The COR working Group

Taxing Times is authorized for distribution by Warren (Smokey) Thomas, President, OPSEU

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