Contracting out of IT Work at IRCC

April 26, 2021

The Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa ON K1A 1L1
By email: Minister@cic.gc.ca

Dear Minister Mendicino,

I am writing on behalf of hundreds of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Information Technology specialists represented by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) regarding the contracting out of the work performed by members of our Computer Systems (CS) Group.

Our representatives have prepared the attached report, “Contracting Out of IT Work at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada”, an analysis of the policy grievances submitted against IRCC between January 2018 and March 2020 for outsourcing of government work that could have been done internally.

The data within demonstrates how the Department is not following Article 30 of the CS Collective Agreement, which stipulates that the employer must make a reasonable effort to use existing employees or hire new full-time or term employees as needed before contracting out work to private companies or consultants.

This report demonstrates that IRCC is the worst Canadian government Department with regards to adherence to Article 30. The length of time and the sheer number of contractors at IRCC in a position to do work that is established as permanent is staggering. In particular, our research shows a high amount of contracting out involving application support. This is important and non-temporary work that should undoubtedly be performed by public service professionals.

This is an issue of critical importance not only to our members and their public service colleagues, but to the Canadians they serve on a daily basis. Outsourcing results in higher costs, lower quality services, less transparency, less accountability and the loss of institutional knowledge and skills.

I thank you for your immediate attention to this matter and look forward to your response. Sincerely,

Debi Daviau,
President, PIPSC

cc : Catrina Tapley, DM, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (catrina.tapley@cic.gc.ca)

Published on 30 April 2021

30 August 2024

Happy Labour Day weekend 2024!

Every victory in labour rights, from the weekend to workplace safety standards, came from workers standing together. Today, we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us, and we're fighting for the future of work.

21 August 2024

President’s message – Public Service Pride Week

The past has shown us the cost of silence and complicity. Let us ensure that our actions today reflect our commitment to justice and equity for all.

7 February 2023

McKinsey contracts: just the tip of the contracting-out iceberg

On January 30, 2023 PIPSC President Jennifer Carr, accompanied by Jordan McAuley, our specialist on outsourcing, testified before the House of Common Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) about the now-infamous McKinsey contracts awarded by the federal government.

16 January 2023

Op-ed — Return-to-office policy puts Canada's public servants at risk

Any return to office policy must “consider the nature of each department’s work and the services they provide to Canadians.” Those are Treasury Board President Mona Fortier’s own words, and we urge her to heed them, said presidents of PIPSC and CAPE in an opinion letter published in The Ottawa Citizen.

4 January 2023

Jenn’s New Year’s Message to Members

The New Year is here and I want to take this opportunity to sincerely wish you all the very best in 2023. Our challenges can definitely lead to positive outcomes for our members.

3 November 2022

First meeting between President Carr and Revenue Minister Lebouthillier

On October 28, 2022 President Carr met for the first time with Revenue Minister Diane Lebouthillier to discuss a number of important issues that affect our members, public services and Canadian taxpayers.