News - December 2009           Previous Month         Following Month

Headlines of the current month's news items are listed immediately below. Click on the headline of your choice to see the entire text of the article.

January 15 is registration deadline for 2010 PSAC National Pride Conference

AAFC GL Review Update: Déjà vu...all over again

One good ‘Rand’ campaign deserves another!

Social Justice Fund provides help to Halifax members

who provide hope for residents of ‘Hope Cottage’

CFIA neutral classification system clarification:

all grievances being placed in abeyance at their current level

Nova Scotia members continue ‘shoebox’ tradition

of holiday season gifts for African orphans

January 15 is registration deadline for 2010 PSAC National Pride Conference

(Posted December 23, 2009)

The next PSAC National Pride Conference will be held March 26-28/09 in Toronto. The registration deadline for delegates and observers is 4 p.m. EST, Friday, January 15.

General Conference information can be found on the PSAC Web site HERE.

Agriculture Union members can apply by fax, by regular mail or by going on-line. An on-line application form can be accessed HERE.

Please note that members must self-identify as a GLBT member to be considered for delegate or observer status. Subsidies from the Agriculture Union may be available for members selected as observers.

For more information, please contact either your Regional Human Rights representative or the National Equal Opportunities Director HERE.

AAFC GL Review Update: Déjà vu...all over again

(Posted December 18, 2009)

Ever get that weird feeling that you’ve already lived through an unfolding event? If so, you can well understand our frustration with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada when it comes to the GL Review!

The Agriculture Union came away from a December 16 Human Resources Update Committee meeting with a severe case of déjà vu...all over again!

Management has – yet again – pushed back the proposed end of the GL Review to November 30, 2010. And, once more, we were told that a communiqué would be going out to employees to advise them of this. Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for the last promised communiqué about the last end-date postponement.

All we can say is that AAFC has sworn up and down that their communiqué will be circulating by Christmas or early in the New Year, and that regular updates will follow.

While we’re very tempted to say “Been there; haven’t done that”, we can take some hope in that this is the first time management has said we can publicly announce their commitment to the effective date which is April 1, 2003.

Then again, we all used to believe in Santa Claus at one time, didn't we...?

One good ‘Rand’ campaign deserves another!

(Posted December 15, 2009)

Three years ago, we launched a highly-successful workplace campaign to sign up ‘Rands’ – co-workers who for a variety of reasons had yet to formally join the Agriculture Union - Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Since then, new hires, retirements and transfers have seen the number of Agriculture Union Rands rise yet again. As a result, we’re set to launch a new year-long Rand sign-up campaign in 2010.

The object of signing up Rands is to strengthen Agriculture Union Locals right across the country. That benefits all members. Fittingly, then, our 2010 campaign will reward Locals. The Local delegate entitlement to the Agriculture Union convention could increase by signing up more Rands. As well, the winning Local will receive an observer’s seat to our next convention, with all expenses paid by the National Office. There will also be a monthly draw to award a prize to one newly signed up member.

We appreciate that, when it comes to Rands, no two Locals are the same. Some are large; some are small. Some are in one physical location; others are spread out. Rest assured the formula used to decide the winner will take all this into account and provide a ‘level playing field’ for all our Locals.

Information is being sent to all our Locals with more details on the 2010 Rand sign-up campaign. Thanks to the hard work of Union activists in Locals across the country, over 800 Rands were signed up in 2007. We’re hoping to equal or improve upon that success in the coming year.

The strength and solidarity of our Union – at the national, regional and local levels – can reach new heights by ensuring that all possible employees become active members.

With your help, we can do it!

Curious about the term ‘Rand’? Read on...

The term ‘Rand’ dates back to 1946, at the time of a particularly difficult and damaging Windsor, Ontario strike by Ford of Canada Workers. The federal government asked Ivan Rand, a highly-respected Supreme Court Justice, to attempt to mediate a settlement.
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Justice Rand’s efforts were successful. And this success was largely based on a new concept that came to be known as the ‘Rand formula’.

At that time, unions were neither as prevalent nor as accepted as they are now. Justice Rand realized that not all the Ford workers would be willing to join the new and untried union. At the same time, he recognized that a secure financial base was essential if the union was to do its job properly.

Justice Rand accurately noted that all workers – whether union members or not – would benefit from a union-negotiated contract. No-one would be forced to join the union; however, ‘free-loading’ would not be permitted. If you got the benefit, he ruled, you should help pay the cost. Justice Rand required all Ford workers to pay dues to the autoworkers’ union.

The ‘Rand formula’ was a sensible compromise. With its underlying principle of fairness, it has stood the test of time...as valid in today’s federal public service as it was in the auto plants of 1945.

Social Justice Fund provides help to Halifax members who provide hope for residents of ‘Hope Cottage’

(Posted December 10, 2009)

The Agriculture Union’s Social Justice Fund supports a wide range of projects. Some are within Canada; others are overseas. Some are limited in time; some are ongoing.

Our Union’s support for the breakfast program at Halifax’s Hope Cottage is a fine example of an endeavour that benefits our fellow citizens on an ongoing basis.

Hope Cottage prepares two meals for approximately 100 residents twice a day.  Sad to say, in a country as rich as Canada, most of these men and women would have nothing to eat if it were not for this program.

The Halifax Human Rights Committee has committed itself to supporting Hope Cottage. The picture above shows some of our Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff preparing sandwiches for the residents.

As our Union’s contribution, Agriculture Union members will continue to help prepare breakfast for the residents of Hope Cottage one day a month for the coming year.

As the holiday season grows ever closer, we can be proud of the work of our Halifax members.

CFIA neutral classification system clarification: all grievances being placed in abeyance at their current level

(Posted December 7, 2009)

It turns out that our last Web story, posted November 17, on the Agriculture Union’s fight for a gender-neutral classification system at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency inadvertently caused some confusion.

As reported, we have ‘iced’ our campaign due to a commitment by CFIA management to strike a joint committee to look at overhauling an increasingly gender-biased classification system.

As it’s only fair that the committee be given the time to carry out its work, it has been agreed that all grievances will be temporarily placed in abeyance. However, we erred in leaving the impression that only second level grievances were being put in abeyance.

In fact, all such grievances are being placed in abeyance at their current level. Our apologies for having caused any confusion.

Nova Scotia members continue ‘shoebox’ tradition of holiday season gifts for African orphans

(Posted December 4, 2009)

Hundreds of deserving African orphans will have a happier holiday season thanks to the strong support of our Nova Scotia members.

For yet another year, Agriculture Union members have been prominent backers of the One Box, One Child, One Time charity.

Working with other Public Service Alliance members, 322 shoeboxes filled with practical gifts were packaged on November 7 alone at the Halifax PSAC Regional Office.

Thanks to the generosity of Local 80002 members – who work for both Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency – an additional 553 boxes were able to be packed.

When the wrapping was completed, close to 900 shoeboxes were shipped to Africa the week of November 16-20 – just in time for the holidays. More than $3,000 was also raised in cash contributions to defray mailing costs.

“The shoe boxes were filled to overflowing,” said Deborah Young, Local 2’s shoebox campaign co-ordinator. “Last year, we sent 498 shoe boxes; this year, our total was 875. This amazing result is thanks to the generosity and work of countless individuals.

“Local 80002 members were joined by Agriculture Union members in Kentville, by other staff at CFIA and AAFC and many friends and family members. It really was a case of many hands making light work!”

The above photo shows members of the PSAC’s Halifax Human Rights Committee who volunteered their time and effort on this year’s campaign. Our own Deborah Young is at the far right.

This charitable effort was yet another highly-worthwhile project supported by the Agriculture Union’s Social Justice Fund.

The ‘shoebox campaign’ is coordinated at the national level by Samaritan’s Purse, a charity working in over 100 countries around the world to provide humanitarian aid regardless of race, religion, or gender.