Need for facilitators in joint Agriculture Union-CFIA

workplace Anti Harassment Training

National President's year-end message to members

Two more scholarship winners!

Recipients of ROP Bursary Announced

Our Web site gets a major facelift!

Need for facilitators in joint Agriculture Union-CFIA workplace Anti Harassment Training

(Posted December 21, 2006)

The Agriculture Union is looking for a few good facilitators!

Specifically, there is a need for Canadian Food Inspection Agency members wiling and able to act as facilitators in the workplace delivery of joint union-employer Anti Harassment Training.

Facilitator training is tentatively scheduled for January 2007.  So, we’re asking interested CFIA members with a strong aptitude or experience with facilitation to complete and fax the following form to the Agriculture Union National Office no later than January 12, 2007. The fax number is 613-235-0517. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

One last important point.  If you have previously submitted an application, please re-apply to ensure that all interested members are included.

Download the application form in your choice of either RTF or PDF formats:

National President's year-end message to members

(Posted December 19, 2006)

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

With the holiday season soon upon us, it seems an opportune time to cast an eye back at a busy year and, at the same time, look ahead to the challenges that await Agriculture Union members in the months ahead.

The Agriculture Union has undertaken a number of initiatives – such as a new and expanded Web site, an Orientation Kit for new employees and frequent membership communication – to ensure our members have the opportunity to stay up-to-date with their union and workplace issues.

The past year saw a successful round of Agriculture Union Regional Seminars held across the country.  These Seminars are a combination of education, information-sharing and networking.  National Council members in each region are responsible for organizing the Seminars and determining content that best meets Locals’ issues and needs.  Please check our website for a new round of upcoming Regional Seminars in your region in 2007. Contact your local President for further information on how to attend the Regional Seminars.

Almost every Agriculture Union member has concerns with her or his employer. These include:

• Changes implemented by the ‘new’ Public Service Employment Act which negatively impacted all members employed by Treasury Board.  In particular, the former merit-based staffing system has been replaced by a new regime that places virtually all hiring and lay-off power in the hands of management. Our members at the Public Service Commission suffer the consequences of these changes and their workplace is undergoing restructuring.

• The EG Review within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has proven to be lengthy and generated a large number of grievances. We are pushing ahead with the process to the greatest extent possible.

• Reviews to the Canada Grain Act and the Canadian Wheat Board may have an impact on our members at the Canadian Grain Commission.

• The seemingly never-ending PI Review at CFIA has virtually ground to a halt due to the chronic shortage of human resources staff.  While CFIA has finally begun to staff these vacant HR positions, it will still take some time for newly-hired staff to come up to speed.  We started to meet with the newcomers to facilitate and accelerate the process.

• The Harper government's position on accessibility for French Language has had a considerable effect on French language training at the Canada School of Public Service

• A surge in Canadian Forces recruitment threatens the eviction of our language teachers in DND at Saint-Jean.

While many issues must be addressed in the workplace, or through consultation and lobbying, others can only be advanced at the bargaining table.  The new year brings another round of collective bargaining.

Preparation for negotiating new collective agreements are well underway.  Our CFIA National Bargaining Conference was held last September in Ottawa and the National Bargaining Conference for our Treasury Board members will be held early in 2007.  Solidarity is the key to a successful round of negotiations.  Remember…history has shown that when we stand together, we win.

The Agriculture Union grew this past year with the addition of the employees of the Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration (PFRA).  We were delighted to welcome our new PFRA members, and appreciate the active role they have already begun to play inside the Agriculture Union.

Regardless of one’s personal beliefs or faith, this is a time of year both for reflection and for celebration with family and friends.  On behalf of the National Executive and staff of the Agriculture Union, I want to extend our best wishes for the holiday period.

In the tradition of New Year’s resolutions, let us resolve to greet 2007 with a collective determination on our progress and successes.

                                                                                    In solidarity,

                                                                                    Yves Ducharme
                                                                                    National President

Two more scholarship winners!

(Posted December 13, 2006)

On the heels of the announcement of the two recipients of the Agriculture Union’s ROP Bursary comes word that two children of our members have won PSAC Scholarship Awards.

Michael Drew, whose mother Dorothy is a member of Local 17 in Delhi, Ontario, was awarded a $3,000 National PSAC Scholarship.

As well, Katherine Fane was awarded the $2,000 J.R. (Joe) Power National Scholarship.  She is the daughter of Ruth McDiarmid, a long-time Agriculture Union activist who most recently served as Regional Vice-President for our Eastern British Columbia members and was a member of Local 39 in Kamloops.

Each year, the Public Service Alliance awards 12 scholarships valued at a total of $30,000 to the sons and daughters of PSAC members who attend a university, college or an institute of higher learning.

The PSAC scholarships are awarded on the combined basis of an 800-word essay, scholastic achievement and community and union involvement.  For 2006, the topic of the essay was: ‘Tell us why you think Canada needs quality, publicly funded and publicly delivered social programs and services.’

Congratulations to both Katherine and Michael, and best wishes for their studies!

Recipients of ROP Bursary Announced

(Posted December 12, 2006)

The Agriculture Union is very pleased to announce this year’s recipients of our ROP bursary – Caroline Paradis of Quebec City and Lyle Leamon of Isle-Aux-Morts, Newfoundland and Labrador.

The bursary recognizes Record of Performance Inspectors (Dairy Program), of former Agriculture Union Locals 13 and 25, whose jobs were lost through government privatization.

Lyle is currently studying agricultural engineering at Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. His father, Lorenzo, is a member of Local 90076 in Port aux Basques.

Caroline is herself a members of our CGC Local 10061 in Quebec City. She is pursuing a certificate in horticulture and green space management at Laval University.

Our congratulations to both Lyle and Caroline!

The $1,000 ROP Bursary is open to Agriculture Union members and their dependants. It must be applied to an agriculture course.

Applications must be completed, sent and received at the Agriculture Union National Office by June 30 of each year. An application form may be downloaded in either RTF or PDF format on our Web site.

Our Web site gets a major facelift!

(Posted December 4, 2006)

It’s the same, but it’s different.  This contradictory statement actually manages to neatly sum up the first major facelift to our Web site since a new version was launched in March of 2005.

Overall, the main menu at the top of the site has been reorganized to make the retrieval of information more logically and easily accessible.

Site users no longer need to click precisely on the words of sub-menu tabs to activate your selection; now you can click anywhere in the new translucent sub-menu rectangles.  As well, we have eliminated the need to ‘drill down’ more than one level below the main menu.

Here are some of the new specific changes:
      • ‘Health and Safety’, an important concern of our members, now has its own location under the

            ‘Services’ main menu heading. It can also be accessed directly from the grey-coloured column at the

            right of every Web page.
     • The ‘News’ main menu heading is now active, providing access to three selections: current news, past

            archived news and a listing of national and regional union meetings.
     • National Executive and National Council meeting minutes are now available as the first item under the

            newly-named ‘Useful Info’ main menu heading.

The addition of a new main menu heading – ‘Help’ – is the most evident addition to our Web site.  This section will be up-and-running by the beginning of January.  It will provide access to technical tips for best viewing of our site, a glossary of the many acronyms used in the federal public service, and a feedback form to report site problems to our Webmaster.

Given their dynamic natures, Web sites are always evolving.  We hope you enjoy these new embellishments to the Agriculture Union’s own site.

Members with suggestions for further Web site improvements are more than welcome to suggest them to the National Office.

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