Several departments have conducted themselves in a manner that is contrary to the Collective Agreement which affects the FI bargaining unit. Under advisement from Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS), various departments are refusing to reimburse FIs for their annual membership fees when an accounting designation is not a requirement for the performance of their duties. The Association takes the position that this contravenes the terms agreed to in the FI Collective Agreement and goes against past practice.
On August 12, 2013, the Association filed a policy grievance with respect to the interpretation and application of Article 53 of the FI Collective Agreement. This type of grievance is much broader in scope than an individual or group grievance would be. Through a policy grievance, the Association can oppose the actions of specific departments and TBS as a whole in contrast to individual and group grievances which deal with specific matters and do not hold all departments accountable. A policy grievance will allow for a consistent application of Article 53 across all departments, through TBS direction.
If you are an FI and have been denied reimbursement of your annual accounting membership fees, please contact Stéphanie Rochon at: srochon@acfo-acaf.com or Grant Boland at: gboland@acfo-acaf.com to obtain more information on your rights and how we can assist you.
