Government of Alberta pushed for solutions; T4 fears eased
AUPE members working for the Government of Alberta (GOA) continue to report problems with the 1GX payroll system, particularly with the reporting of hours worked over the holidays.
Since the 1GX system was introduced, it has earned a reputation of being as prone to problems as the infamous Phoenix system used by the federal government.
As these problems have arisen, your union has been working to force the employer to fix them. Many grievances have been filed on behalf of members and these are working their way through the grievance process. Most grievances are now heading to arbitration.
Over the holidays, the complexity of the 1GX system and the different way it works caused problems related to the filling out of hours worked. We are working with the employer to resolve these issues. The employer is doing a deep dive into payroll issues from the holidays to ensure all problems are fixed.
If you have experienced this or any other kind of problem with payroll, hours worked, overtime, leave requests or anything else related to 1GX, we need you to do three things:
- Report the problem to 1GX and get a ticket number;
- Report the problem to your manager – in writing or by email; and
- Report the problem to your Membership Services Officer (MSO) and file a grievance. You can do that by calling the Member Resource Centre (MRC) at 1-800-232-7284 or by clicking here.
If your manager discourages you from reporting issues to 1GX and your MSO, do not listen to them. You have every right to get your issues resolved through your employer’s systems and your union.
It’s vital to report the problem in all three ways to ensure there is a paper trail, so it will be easier to pursue action. Filing a grievance will create extra pressure for the employer to act quickly.
We will continue to press for each individual concern to be addressed quickly and for the employer to make a permanent fix to its very flawed system.
Please remember that these problems are the result of management’s decision to adopt a new system long before it was ready and one that was incapable of handling the complexities of dealing with more than 20,000 staff working vastly different schedules and with varying workplace conditions.
This is not the fault of front-line GOA workers in the payroll department, who are fellow AUPE members, so please do not take out your frustrations on them. They are working hard on your behalf.
Meanwhile, we have been assured that any pay problems will not affect your T4s or your personal tax situations. Some members have been paid too little and some too much. There is a process in place to address these as they come up.
We have been assured that the T4s will accurately reflect they pay you should have received and there will be no effect on taxes due to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
We know that the 1GX system has angered and worried thousands of GOA members. You have every right to your anger and your concerns.
The more of us that report problems, the more members we have actively engaged in fighting back, the more power we will have to push for permanent solutions.
Please contact us to get involved here.