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BSE crisis leads to new CFIA inspection positions
InfoBulletin: Update on the PI/EG Review
Mediation settles two additional PI Review generic job descriptions
BSE
crisis leads to new CFIA inspection positions
(posted
April 22, 2005)
Fallout
from the recent BSE crisis has led the federal government to
provide CFIA with additional funding to expand and increase
inspection in a number of areas.
Approximately
50 full-time-equivalent positions (FTEs) will be added to increase
slaughter capacity for cull cattle. These resources will be
used for extra shifts, additional positions on the line to speed
up the slaughter capacity in plants, and also in the reimbursement
program (compensation to farmers, etc).
In
addition, recently-implemented Feed Ban regulations will create
approximately 180 to 200 new positions, most of which will be
inspectors. CFIA has decided they will move to a dedicated feed
inspection system. This means that current feed duties, the
more complex new feed duties and medicated feed work will be
performed by inspectors in these new positions. There may be
exceptions in remote locations, where the duties will continue
to be performed by either Agriculture Inputs Inspectors or Multi-Commodity
Inspectors. A new generic work description - Feed Inspector
Specialist - has been created and classified at the EG-04 group
and level; the largest number of new inspector positions will
be in that category.
Each
area has been given the authority to fill these positions according
to their operational needs. In some areas, existing Agriculture
Inputs Inspectors who perform more than fifty per cent of their
duties in the feed program will be offered the opportunity to
move into the new positions. In other areas, where small amounts
of feed duties are performed by many inspectors, competitions
will be held or appointments made from lists of pre-qualified
candidates.
In
several provinces - Quebec , Southern Alberta and Manitoba -
inspectors performing more than fifty per cent feed duties in
their day-to-day work will be transitioned over to the new positions.
In Saskatchewan and Ontario , the work is more varied, is classified
at different levels, and no automatic transition can be achieved.
Some
of the Atlantic provinces have not yet put their transition
plans into place. However, Nova Scotia has already issued a
poster for an upcoming competition.
The
National Office urges inspectors who perform a large percentage
of feed duties to review their work descriptions carefully and
discuss any concerns with their manager.
We
are still awaiting the CFIA's response to our objection to the
use of the Public Service Commission's standardized test as
a screening tool.
We
had also expressed our concern about the impact on the work
of existing Agriculture Inputs Inspectors and were assured that
a review of their duties will be conducted, that the focus will
be on Seed, Fertilizer and Pesticides and no negative impact
is expected.
The Agriculture
Union will monitor this process closely and do our utmost to ensure
that it is consistently and fairly implemented across the country.
Should you have any concerns with the process as it proceeds,
please contact your local union representative or your Regional
Vice-President.
InfoBulletin:
Update on the PI/EG Review
(posted
April 19, 2005)
(click
here to access bulletin)
Mediation
settles two additional PI Review generic job descriptions
(posted
April 6, 2005)
Mediation
sessions in late March have yielded agreement on two more generic
job descriptions flowing from the PI Review of positions at
the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
Agreement
has been reached for EG-03 - Shell Egg Inspector (decision #2135)
and EG-05 - Food Processing Supervisor (decision #20149). As
agreed, the revised work description will be released once all
the grieved work descriptions have completed the mediation process.
The
PI Review generated a total of 32 new generic job descriptions,
of which 26 were grieved. An additional mediation session will
be required to finalize a third generic job description: that
of EG-03 - Plant Program Inspector (decision #20133).
May
18 and 19 have been proposed as dates for continued mediation
sessions.
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