Park it ! | CAW 2002 TCA CANADA

Dear Local 2002 Members,

The federal government has put a target on the back of airport workers in the
shape of a dollar sign. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) is contacting employers
to advise them that employee offered parking will now be considered a taxable
benefit regardless of whether the employee actually uses that parking.

The Government has already starting collecting tax at two of our Local’s units:
First Air and Handlex. Other companies like Air Canada and Jazz Air have been
notified and are currently engaged in the appeal process. Soon, it will be open
season and I expect that all of our units will be targeted in this unfair tax
grab.

This tax represents another wage reduction on employees in an already difficult
economic environment. While ultimately, we cannot control the outcome of this
decision by the Government of Canada, I have written to the Minister of Revenue
stressing our objections.

To fully understand this issue, please read the attached letter and send it to
your Member of Parliament urging them not to proceed with this unjust tax on
airport-related working people.

I encourage you to send this letter as soon as possible as the CRA is moving
quickly.

Thank-you for your participation in this collective action.

In solidarity,

Leslie Dias
President
CAW Local 2002

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Personal Message (Add your message to this email):

The email message:

Dear Member of Parliament,

I am writing to express my serious concern over the Canada Revenue Agency’s recent communications that it will start treating an employer’s provision of parking spaces to its employees, like me, as a taxable benefit. The deemed value of these parking spaces would be included in our income, resulting in most employees having to pay higher taxes.

The Canada Revenue Agency would say that it is acting in accordance with the Income Tax Act. However, we respectfully submit that this is an incorrect application of the law for the following reasons:

• The Canada Revenue Agency’s website states that in most cases, if an employer provides “scramble parking” where there are fewer spaces than there are employees who require parking and the spaces are available, on a first-come, first-served basis, then the parking should not be treated as taxable benefit. There are always more employees than there are parking spots available.

• The Tax Court of Canada has found that the availability of public transit and an employee’s hours of work are relevant considerations when assessing whether or not an employer-provided parking spot is a taxable benefit. Many Canadian airports are located far from urban centres and are not well serviced by public transportation making it very difficult for employees to get to work without a car. Employees often work shifts that do not conform to the normal nine to five routine of most Canadian workers; making public transit is even less accessible.

This tax represents another wage reduction upon employees in an already difficult economic environment. Please call on the Canada Revenue Agency to consider the impact its decision will have on all Canadian employees and further, determine that the tax has no application in the circumstances I describe here.

I urge you to contact your colleague, the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of National Revenue, to ask that he instruct the Canada Revenue Agency to reverse its position with respect to company-provided employee parking.

Yours sincerely,

This message will be emailed to:

The office of CAW Airline Local 2002