Contract talks for our members employed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency will resume in Ottawa the first week of October.
And, based on past sessions, the bargaining team is expecting a challenging few days.
Negotiations for a new CFIA collective agreement are running parallel to contract talks for Agriculture Union members employed by Treasury Board. Our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, characterized those mid-September negotiations as “terribly disappointing”.
Robyn Benson, PSAC National President, told media that further Treasury Board talks will be scheduled only if it appears the employer will move off its entrenched position.
The last round of CFIA bargaining, held last July, saw management push for concessions on a variety of issues: hours of works, shift schedules and associated overtime, premium pay and the Travel Directive.
Given that CFIA management’s bargaining stance has not altered since the Liberals replaced the Harper Conservatives, next month’s contract talks will be critical to determining if any real progress can be made.