Halifax member rallies native Ecuadorians against threat of oil interests

CFIA Bargaining Team ready to face employer

CFIA Bargaining Conference kicks off tomorrow

Contact information for Agriculture Union Local Presidents

now available on our Web site

Halifax member rallies native Ecuadorians against threat of oil interests

(Posted September 18, 2006)

Come the chills of early winter, the collective thoughts of Canadians turn to sunny southern climes.  For most of us, this vision includes a cold drink and a good book by a beach or pool.

Not for Marie Makhan of Halifax though.

The Agriculture Union member headed south alright, way south in fact.  And for six weeks.  But she went far beyond the ordinary, using all her annual leave last winter to teach English to the indigenous people of a remote Andean village nestled in Ecuador’s Mindo Valley.

However, for Marie, the language instruction was but a means to an even more critical end – to better equip the 200 residents of the Mindo Valley to confront the government’s plan to drain off the country’s oil reserves without respecting the fragile ecosystem which is their only source of income.

The government in the capital of Quito, two hours from the Valley, is aggressively extending Trans-Ecuadorian Pipeline in order to increase oil extraction from the resource-rich hinterland.  The result, says Marie, is an attack on both the region’s ecosystem and the indigenous inhabitants’ culture.

“Technically, the doubling of oil production would benefit all Ecuadorians.   In reality, little benefit reaches the indigenous people outside population centres.  Perhaps even worse, the pipeline pathway has cut through supposedly ‘protected’ areas, including the breathtaking Nambillo Mindo Cloud Forest Reserve, one of the most sacred burial grounds in Ecuador.

The photos immediately below show both the villagers modest way or life and the true face of the oil interests: chain-link fences, armed guards and attack dogs meant to exclude rather than involve the local population in the pipeline activities.

“The juxtaposition of the oil camps with the waterfalls, orchids and rare animal species of the ancient forests of the cloud reserve could not be starker,” Marie notes.

“The people of Mindo are not against progress.  They know they need to learn English to communicate with tourists, develop ecotourism and start small businesses to support their families and provide for their children’s education.  At the same time, they want sustainable economic development that reinforces rather than destroys their traditional way of life.

“I know that our union’s members have a rich store of knowledge, resources and expertise to help the people of this small Andean village.  Anyone who wants more information or has some advice is more than welcome to contact me at mariemakhan@hotmail.com.”

CFIA Bargaining Team ready to face employer

(Posted September 16, 2006)

Armed with a clear mandate and solid support, the members of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency bargaining team are ready to face the employer in upcoming contract talks.

Team members were chosen at the September 12-15 CFIA National Bargaining Conference. They are:

      • Debbie Forsythe – Atlantic;

      • Denis Sicard – Quebec;

      • Marlene O’Neil - Ontario;

      • Len Halldorson - Manitoba;

      • Marianne Hladun - Saskatchewan;

      • Brea Lewis - Alberta;

      • Bob Jackson – British Columbia; and

      • Mike McNamara, PSAC negotiator.

The Conference saw two delegates plus an alternate from each of the seven regions discuss a program of demands and membership mobilization around collective bargaining.

The photos below show Conference participants, the Conference at work and National President Yves Ducharme, First National Executive Vice-President Bob Kingston and PSAC negotiator Mike McNamara.

CFIA Bargaining Conference kicks off tomorrow

(Posted September 11, 2006)

Delegates from Agriculture Union Locals representing workers at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency are converging on Ottawa for the start of the September 12-15 CFIA National Bargaining Conference.

Two delegates from each of the seven regions, plus alternates and observers, will attend the three-day meeting to review the official Program of Demands from the PSAC and input sought and provided earlier this year from our CFIA members.

As well, delegates will chose their representatives on the PSAC/Agriculture Union bargaining team who will sit down with the employer to negotiate a new collective agreement.

In addition to these important aspects, the Conference will also cover:

      • the history of CFIA bargaining;

      • collective bargaining under the new Public Service Labour Relations Act; and

      • membership mobilization around collective bargaining.

Keep checking the Agriculture Union Web site for further updates on the status of CFIA negotiations as they unfold.

Contact information for Agriculture Union Local Presidents now available on our Web site

(Posted September 4, 2006)

We’re marking Labour Day with the official unveiling of an addition to the Agriculture Union Web site – a contact section for all our Local Presidents.

When we launched our dramatically revised Web site in March 2005, we noted it was a work in progress that would continue to evolve and expand over time.  This new contact section is but one of a number of refinements that our members will see over the weeks ahead.

To find the new Local Presidents section, simply click on ‘Contacts’ in the toolbar that runs across the top of this page.  Then, click a second time on the ‘Local Presidents’ title in the drop-down menu list.  You’ll then be taken to the following page:

Clicking on any of the five regions on the map of Canada will take you to a numerical listing of all Locals in that area.   Where a region contains more than one province, each one is listed individually.  You can tell at a glance the location and employer composition of each Local.  It’s as simple as that.

So now, Agriculture Union Local Presidents are just a mouse click away!

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