CGC job losses: Fight political fire with fire!
(Posted December 21, 2007)
The Agriculture Union is formulating a campaign against the politically-motivated job cuts at the Canadian Grain Commission.
There's more ideology than common sense behind the December 13 tabling of Bill C-39, An Act to Amend the Canada Grain Act, in the House of Commons. If enacted, it would change the Commission's mandate and gut inward inspection, inward weighing and CGC's security program.
All this is being done by the Conservatives to pander to their base of 'free market' farmers who want little or no government regulation impeding their ability to sell their grain on the open market – when it suits them.
Given such a blatantly political agenda, our Union is preparing to fight political fire with fire.
Early in the New Year, the National Office will be making arrangements to meet with the Agriculture critics of all three opposition parties. We are also pressing our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, to take up this issue as a major Alliance-wide campaign.
The hard, cold reality is that none of this will likely succeed unless our own Agriculture Union members – and not just those at the CGC – begin to put pressure on federal politicians from all parties.
As a start, we urge members to use the holiday break as an opportunity to meet with local Members of Parliament in their constituency offices to express our opposition to Bill C-39. As well, we would encourage you to talk to your contacts in the farm community.
To get the ball rolling, you can use the following Web site to find your local federal M.P. and his or her constituency office information simply by entering your home postal code:
Locate Your M.P. by Postal Code
National President’s Year-end Message
(Posted December 20, 2007)
Dear Brothers and Sisters:
As we all know too well, labour relations in the federal public service are always a challenge. Nonetheless, the past year has been one of steady progress and achievement for Agriculture Union members.
I deeply believe that our Union has never been stronger. I am immensely proud of the hard work of our activists and the support of our membership. We have shown that by working together in solidarity, solid gains can be made. Our Triennial National Convention, to be held next August in Quebec City, will provide yet another opportunity to adapt and advance our union.
Every day, Agriculture Union representatives at every level are working for you: at labour-management consultation…with representation on grievances…on health and safety committees…classification problems…employee assistance matters…official languages concerns…and a host of other issues too numerous to mention.
Looking ahead, all eyes are focused on the outcome of the current round of bargaining for those of our members employed by Treasury Board.
The Agriculture Union was very well represented and vocal about our members’ interests at the National Bargaining Conference held early this year by our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada. We succeeded in having an Agriculture Union delegate elected to each of the four PSAC negotiations teams. All of us wish these members – Michele Coe, Local 48; Steve Van Opstal, Local 40229; Darrell-Lee McKenzie, Local 43; and Julie Chevalier, Local 10377 – the very best in their important work over the next few months.
As I write this in late November, the PSAC has been ‘at the table’ with the employer for several weeks now. As seems always to be the case, Treasury Board negotiators have approached these talks with an eye to taking away a number of our hard-won benefits.
Will there be a strike in 2008? I honestly don’t know. Certainly, we and the PSAC will do our best to avoid one. However, we are not prepared to roll over and play dead in the face of a government that places a higher premium on tax cuts for big business than in services for ordinary Canadians. Preparing ourselves for any negotiations outcome is both a smart tactical move and a way to send a powerful signal to the employer that we are not to be taken for granted.
Part of this preparation saw the Agriculture Union launch a year-long campaign to sign up ‘Rands’ – co-workers who, for one reason or another, had not signed a union card. Thanks to a phenomenal collective effort by our Locals, we succeeded in signing up nearly 1000 new members. This boost in Local unity is both welcome and timely.
There was some good news for our Canadian Food Inspection members on the bargaining front. We successfully negotiated a new collective agreement, retroactive to last January 1. However, the one-year contract expires at the end of 2007. So, it won’t be long before our CFIA members must again direct their attention to a new set of negotiations.
One encouraging sign was the arrival of a ttentative Essential Services Agreement with CFIA. The ESA determines which CFIA positions are deemed essential to the public’s health and safety, with the members occupying those jobs prohibited from participating in strike action. The accord was a first for both parties, as ESAs have replaced the former ‘designations’ process.
Work description and classification issues were a major preoccupation over the past 12 months. This seems guaranteed also to be the case in 2008.
Last June saw the appointment of a new CFIA President, Ms. Carole Swan. Whether coincidental or not, the past few months saw us break the logjam on the seemingly never-ending PI Review. The Agriculture Union and CFIA management jointly announced a major classification decision flowing from the PI Review – the first such development since our members launched thousands of grievances in 2000. While this was a significant, positive development, we recognize the need to resolve a number of outstanding issues.
Senior CFIA management has also given the go-ahead to a long-overdue review of the work descriptions of our EG members employed in the Agency’s Science Branch.
Similarly, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada began Phase II of its study to determine that our GL members have complete and accurate work descriptions.
This involves on-site visits to gather information, followed by drafting of work descriptions. Hopefully, GL work descriptions will be finalized by the arrival of spring.
Strong decisive action by our Union also succeeded in protecting the jobs of our members at the Canadian Forces Language School in Saint-Jean, Quebec. we contacted then-Defence Minister Gordon O’Connor after the media reported in mid-March that new Department of National Defence regulations would result in the abandonment of the long-standing requirement that Canadian Armed Forces officers become proficient in both official languages.
The Agriculture Union also wrote directly to all Members of Parliament and Senators. While obviously noting our concern over the job security of our language training members, we pointed to the wider impact on federal bilingual policies and on the operational effectiveness of the armed forces. As a follow-up, we organized a joint news conference on Parliament Hill with the Bloc Québécois to exert further pressure on a Conservative government eager to make political inroads in Quebec in upcoming federal election.
All this activity created a large amount of media interest in Quebec, with the result that National Defence Minster Gordon O’Connor ensured our Saint-Jean members that both their jobs and the facility itself are safe from downsizing or closure.
However, we can never afford to rest on our laurels. The Harper government has established a four-person ‘independent expert panel’ that will report to the President of the Treasury Board on the possible transfer of management of federal laboratories to either universities or the private sector. The non-regulatory laboratories operated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada could well be among those possibly transferred. This is one among a number of issues that we are watching closely as we move into a new year.
I say ‘we’ because, of course, the National President is only one member of a much larger team that makes up the Agriculture Union. Our Local Executive members, volunteers whose dedication and efforts ensure our members’ interests are protected in the workplace, deserve our deep thanks. As do the Agriculture Union staff, who are always ready and willing to go the extra mile to defend our members.
I wish each of you good health, good spirit and good will as we look ahead to what will doubtless be an exciting and eventful year. With your continued help and support, we will ensure that the Agriculture Union continues to vigorously protect the rights of all our members.
In solidarity,
Yves Ducharme
National President
Planned job losses a cruel Christmas ‘gift’ to Canadian Grain Commission members
(Posted December 18, 2007)
The Harper government has given a bitter holiday ‘gift’ to Agriculture Union members at the Canadian Grain Commission: the loss of nearly 200 jobs.
Bill C-39, An Act to Amend the Canada Grain Act, was introduced in the House of Commons on December 13. If enacted, it would change CGC’s mandate, end mandatory inward inspection and inward weighing, terminate the security program, and supposedly strengthen enforcement provisions.
Inward inspection and inward weighing are services which our members provide for grain going from the farm to the grain elevator to ensure that the farmers are treated fairly.
CGC management has committed to consulting with the Agriculture Union in implementing this politically-inspired downsizing, part of the Conservatives’ anti-regulation, anti-Wheat Board agenda.
The announcement, coming only two weeks before Christmas, was particularly and unnecessarily cruel. It was a clear case of ‘hit and run’, with C-39 introduced in Parliament on the final day of sitting before M.P.s took an extended holiday break.
However, this break, and the fact that the Conservative government is in a minority position, give us a chance to block or blunt the legislation.
The Agriculture Union was quick off the mark in dealing with Bill C-39. We immediately contacted our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, to ask for assistance. It is our intention to work with the PSAC and other organizations to oppose this proposed legislation.
Also, a meeting was held on December 17 with CGC management in an attempt to obtain more specific details.
In addition, we encourage our members to get involved by contacting their Members of Parliament.
If the legislation is passed, management predicts that most changes will not be in place until 2009.
We will post additional information on this issue as it develops.
Stacy Peterson: Our November ‘Rand campaign’ winner!
(Posted December 12, 2007)
Congratulations to Stacy Peterson – the latest monthly winner in our year-long campaign to sign up ‘Rands’: dues-paying co-workers who, for one reason or another, have yet to sign a union card.
Stacy, a newly-signed-up member of Local 50073 in Winnipeg, is the proud owner of a much-coveted and highly-prized (!) Agriculture Union mug. As well, her name joins those of all Rands who sign membership cards by year’s-end in becoming eligible for our grand prize – two round-trip tickets to anywhere in Canada that Air Canada flies, or $1,000 in cash.
CFIA PI Review Grievances: Not all managers getting the message from headquarters!
(Posted December 10, 2007)
A breakdown in communication between Canadian Food Inspection Agency headquarters and line managers is frustrating progress on PI Review grievances related to mapping.
Our agreement with senior CFIA management is that these grievances logically need to be dealt with at the ‘first level’, as that is where the parties can have an informed discussion regarding the work the member does versus what their assigned job description says they do.
The Agriculture Union National Office has received a number of concerns expressed regarding the way CFIA managers at the local and regional levels are dealing with these grievances.
Obviously, if management will not meet with the grievors, or tries to deal with the consultations as a group grievance, the agreed-to goal cannot be achieved.
If this is happening, it is contrary to what CFIA Human Resources has agreed would take place. Therefore, it is important that the National Office be informed of this as soon as possible.
Do not proceed with the grievance consultations until the managers agree to do it properly.
There may be some situations where grievors have identical work and work history. In those cases it may be appropriate to deal with more than one grievance at a time, but this will most certainly not be the rule.
Let’s all mark International Human Rights Day, December 10
(Posted December 7, 2007)
Monday, December 10, trade unionists and human rights activists around the globe will mark one of the most important events of the year – International Human Rights Day.
The day’s activities are focused on the United Nation’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights, unanimously endorsed by the UN’s member nations in 1948. As this landmark document was in fact written by a Canadian, it has a special meaning for all of us.
The Agriculture Union is committed not only to ensure fair and equal access within our union for all members but also for all our fellow citizens within our communities. As activists, we remember those who have fought to maintain our human rights, commit to uphold these principles and challenge those who seek to violate them.
For more information on International Human Rights Day and how to get involved, please contact your Regional Equal Opportunities Representative. You can find this individual by clicking on the following link:
Regional Equal Opportunities Representatives
Rand Campaign – We’re down to the wire!
(Posted December 7, 2007)
We’re down to counting the days until the end of our year-long campaign to sign up Rands in workplaces across the country.
Thanks to the hard work of Local executive members and activists, we’ve welcomed literally hundreds and hundreds of new members to the Agriculture Union family.
So, as we head down to the wire, let’s keep up the fantastic work and recruit those last few Rands we’ve been meaning to approach!
