Tax agency extends contracts of 850 call centre workers amid staffing concerns

Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) national headquarters in Ottawa on Friday, June 28, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — The Canada Revenue Agency has offered contract extensions to around 850 call centre employees as their union sounds the alarm over staffing levels.

CRA spokesperson Etienne Biram says the workers, whose contracts were set to expire in September, were contacted about the decision last week.

The federal union representing workers at the tax agency recently launched an online campaign denouncing staffing cuts.

Marc Brière, national president of the Union of Taxation Employees, said the loss of about 3,300 call centre employees in the last year has resulted in long wait times and dropped calls.

Brière said last week the main goal of the campaign is to get the government to stop making cuts, save call centre jobs and rehire employees because levels are “too low” and services have been “deeply affected.”

Biram says the CRA’s budget has been impacted in recent years, which has required the agency to re-examine the size of its workforce.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 25, 2025.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press