Audit Division Restructuring and Staff Redeployment - Update

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee submits, for the information of Council, the recommendation of the Audit Committee embodied in the transmittal letter (September14,1998) from the City Clerk, and reports having received same.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee reports having requested the City Auditor to report further to its next meeting on October 20, 1998, in the event that the two remaining staff requiring redeployment have not been accommodated.

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee submits the following transmittal letter (September 14, 1998) from the Audit Committee:

Recommendation:

The Audit Committee on September 11, 1998, recommended to the Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee that the report (August 31, 1998) from the City Auditor be received for information and Council so advised.

Background:

The Audit Committee had before it a report (August 31, 1998) from the City Auditor providing an update of the Audit Division restructuring and staff redeployment.

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(Report dated August 31, 1998, addressed

to the Audit Committee, from the City Auditor)

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this report be received for information.

Background:

A report dated June 25, 1998, prepared by the City Auditor outlined the actions taken up to that point in regards to the redeployment of surplus audit staff. This report is an update to the June 25, 1998 report.

Comments:

The report dated June 25, 1998 indicated that 20 of 30 surplus audit staff had been accommodated in terms of voluntary separation, mandatory retirements or redeployment elsewhere in the Corporation. Since that time, of the 10 staff requiring redeployment, a further 8 have been accommodated as follows:

Voluntary exits (Bargaining unit employees)2

Voluntary exit (Excluded)1

Placement outside Corporation (Bargaining unit employee)1

Placement within the Corporation (Bargaining unit employees)2

On Long-Term disability (Bargaining unit employees) 2

8

Consequently, there remains 2 further staff who require redeployment. The following actions have been taken in regards to these staff.

(1)Staff terminations relating to these 2 individuals were delayed until August 31, 1998, so that they had the opportunity to apply for positions becoming available within the Corporation.

(2)A meeting was arranged with representatives of the Ministry of Revenue to explore a significant number of auditor positions currently being recruited by the Province. This meeting was held in the Office of the City Auditor and all staff who had not been placed were invited to attend. The Ministry is currently attempting to hire over 500 auditors and expressed an interest in interviewing surplus audit department staff. However, audit staff requiring redeployment chose not to attend this meeting;

(3)Contact was made with the Treasurer of the City of Markham in regards to Markham's requirements for hiring financial analysts and operational auditors. I am not aware that staff have made contact with the City;

(4)Contact has been made with the Toronto Hydro and the Toronto Transit Commission in regards to potential vacancies. No vacancies currently exist; and

(5)Ongoing enquiries have been made with the Human Resources Division in order to determine what vacancies may exist.

Conclusion:

Out of a total of 30 staff requiring redeployment, 28 have been accommodated. In regards to the remaining two, all possible means have been investigated in attempting to redeploy staff elsewhere in the Corporation as well as positions outside the Corporation. These efforts will continue for the duration of the staff's period of recall.

Contact Name and Telephone No.:

Jeff Griffiths 392-8461

The Strategic Policies and Priorities Committee also submits the following communication (September 15, 1998) from the President, CUPE Local 79:

We have reviewed the report, "Audit Division Restructuring and Staff Redeployment - Update" (August 31, 1998). It explains the actions taken regarding the placement of surplus audit staff as a result of the decision to contract out the attest audit functions.

For the information of Committee members, we would like to outline the Corporation's responsibility for the placement of union members. The Collective Agreement states that it is the policy of the City to place in other positions Permanent Service employees of the City who may be displaced by reason of...the contracting out of any work...and the deletion or elimination of a position or job classification... The Human Resources Department has the responsibility to meet these obligations and find suitable positions for displaced employees.

There are two bargaining staff remaining who require placement. Both of these permanent employees have twenty-two years of service with the former City of Toronto and are highly qualified in their field. Given the hundreds of job classifications in the City, it is inconceivable that there is not a single suitable position for long term employees with their excellent skills.

Instead, they have been laid off. This is a terrible waste of experience and a serious issue for the Corporation and Local 79.

We request that the Members of the Audit Committee direct the Executive Director, Human Resources, to immediately find positions for these members, in keeping with the terms of our Collective Agreement.