The Union of Taxation Employees (UTE) went public with the first phase of that campaign. They’re sounding the alarm on the thousands of high-quality jobs being slashed right now at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). The purpose of this Campaign is to replenish the lost market of approximately 3300 call centre workers. The Union, although disappointed, sees this loss as a serious blow to the quality of service that taxpayers and businesses are receiving across Canada.
On June 18, the CRA surprised many by announcing that they would extend the contracts of some 850 call centre workers. This measure misses the mark on solving the bigger problem of almost 10,000 jobs eliminated since May 2024. Marc Brière, the national president of the UTE, has been warning about the consequences that these cuts will have on service delivery. This is all the more crucial as citizens continue to be plagued by tax-related scams.
The campaign recently launched by the UTE is aimed to raise awareness about the impact these cuts have on the quality of services paid for by taxpayers. Brière was adamant that the cut workforce is resulting in increasing delays and inefficiencies in the CRA’s work. He stressed how important it is for the government to address these matters swiftly. This comes at a critical time as Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne has set an unrelenting 100-day clock for the CRA to resolve continuing call centre wait times.
We are pleased to see the UTE raising awareness with this campaign. They’ve coordinated a mass demonstration to take place in front of the Prime Minister’s Office this Friday. This rally is intended to call on the government to #FairInTheCRA and once again reinvest in the CRA. That’s why we fought to ensure it had the resources it needs to best serve Canadians. The union is marshaling public support. Inadequate staffing impacts the timely and efficient delivery of services. They stress that a professional, staffed workforce at the CRA is critical.
As part of broader government initiatives, spending cuts across the public service have been announced, contributing to concerns about job security and service quality. The UTE’s ongoing campaign emphasizes the loss of contracting jobs as an immediate impact. It emphasizes the future consequences for taxpayer trust and operational efficiency inside the CRA.
