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News Releases
News releases issued by the Agriculture Union in 2010, beginning with the most recent, are listed below. Click on the title to read the entire text. (March 17, 2010) Canadian meat inspection inadequate: USDA (March 15, 2010)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 17, 2010 Reality Check Ottawa -- Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz’s appearance before the Agriculture Committee this afternoon will be an opportunity for the Minister to set the record straight on inspection of ready-to-eat meats produced for Canadian consumers. On Monday, the Minister misinformed the House of Commons. He said that plants that make ready-to-eat meat exclusively for consumption by Canadians consumers is inspected on the same frequency as plants that produce for the US market. “The inspection rate for domestic consumption, as well as for international trade, is exactly the same. It works on a 12-hour cycle,” Mr. Ritz said. In fact, the CFIA practices two separate inspection frequencies for plants that produce ready-to-eat meat products: Plants that ship to the US are subject to a “daily inspection presence” requirement. This is a standard set by the USDA which defines daily presence as once every 12 hours of production. Until recently, the CFIA required a meat inspector to visit a meat processing facility licenced for export to the US once a day. In November last year, the CFIA moved to close this standards gap after the USDA objected. Plants that produce only for domestic consumption are normally subject to an inspector’s presence only once a week. This frequency of inspection for plants producing only for the Canadian market has not changed even since CFIA began inspecting to the USDA’s 12 hour requirement in November 2009. Today’s appearance before the Agriculture Committee will also be an opportunity for the Minister to explain: Why the CFIA has failed to complete an audit of the controversial new meat inspection system called the Compliance Verification System or CVS eight months after Sheila Weatherill found the CVS was “implemented without a detailed assessment of the resources available to take on these new (CVS) tasks”. Minister Ritz promised this review would be done months ago. Why nothing changed when it comes to the number of ready-to-eat meat processing plants inspectors are responsible for. Pre-Maple Leaf, each inspector was responsible for an average of 4 – 5 plants. The ratio remains the same today even though it means that the food inspection system is stretched so thin that inspectors don’t have enough time to do their jobs properly. Why no additional food inspectors have been added to the CFIA front lines almost two years after the Maple Leaf outbreak and 8 months after the Weatherill report. In response to the inspection deficit, the federal government has given more responsibility to the food industry to police its own safety practices with less direct supervision from government inspectors. The government’s approach may be changing, however. Yesterday, Transport Minister John Baird said: "it’s simply wrong for industry to regulate itself.” Does Minister Ritz agree with his colleague? -30-
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 15, 2010 Canadian meat inspection inadequate: USDA Minister Ritz has failed to deliver promised new investments for food safety Ottawa – Canada has been quietly called out for inadequate inspection of meat processing plants by the US Food and Drug Administration which has demanded that Canada increase its inspection frequency in order to meet US safety standards and continue to have access to US markets, according to internal Canadian Food Inspection Agency documents. The food inspectors union released the text of an internal staff memo today which discusses the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency’s approach to the additional USDA safety requirements. According to the memo, “…the CFIA will be providing additional inspection coverage… to better meet the USDA’s technical requirements for products exported to the US.” But because of a lack of resources, CFIA has been unable to hire new inspectors to comply with US safety requirements. At the moment, the CFIA is meeting the US regulator’s safety standards by scheduling overtime among the existing inspectorate, an approach that is not sustainable. The CFIA memo says “the Agency will need to hire additional inspection staff” but notes that “the CFIA continues to explore funding options as we refine how we deliver these food safety enhancements. In the short term we will be looking to our current inspection staff to work hours in addition to their regularly scheduled shifts.” “Unless the government makes new investments in food safety, the CFIA will face a choice: ignore the USDA’s demands and risk losing access to the US market for Canadian processed meat products, or elevate food contamination risks for Canadian consumers by diverting scarce resources away from other inspection programs,” said Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC which represents federal food inspectors. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz promised an additional $75 million for food safety including 70 new meat inspectors in September 2009 in response to the Weatherill Report on the Maple Leaf Foods listeria outbreak. However, new inspector positions the CFIA may be creating have been more than offset by attrition. “The lack of action in response to the Weatherill Report is bad enough. Now the government has side-swiped real improvements to food safety inspection with the spending cuts it imposed in the budget,” Kingston said. The only new funding received by CFIA for food safety since Ms. Weatherill released her report is $11 million contained in the 2010/11 Main Estimates that were tabled in the House of Commons on March 3rd, an amount that won’t come close to delivering on the Minister’s promise or addressing the safety standards gap with the US. Until recently, Canada required a meat inspector to visit a meat processing facility once every 16 hours of plant operation, while the US standard requires an inspector visit once every 12 hours. According to the memo, “…the CFIA will be providing additional inspection coverage starting in early November (2009), initially on each 12 hour processing shift in certain establishments processing meat products. This will allow us to better meet the USDA’s technical requirements for products exported to the US.” It is estimated that up to 50 additional meat inspectors are needed to meet the USDA requirements. “Overtime dollars don’t grow on trees, especially at the CFIA. In order to comply with US requirements for a daily inspector presence in meat processing plants, CFIA will be forced to bleed inspection resources once intended to safeguard Canadian consumers since the government has not delivered on its promise of more food inspectors to date,” said Kingston. The food inspectors union regards this as the latest example of chronic and critical under resourcing of food safety and inspection in Canada. The full text of the CFIA staff memo follows: Memo to Inspection Staff As part of Canada’s continued efforts to enhance food safety, the CFIA will be providing additional inspectional coverage starting in early November, initially on each 12 hour processing shift in certain establishments processing meat products. This will allow us to better meet the USDA’s technical requirements for products exported to the US. In order to carry out this initiative, the Agency will need to hire additional inspection staff. The CFIA continues to explore funding options as we refine how we deliver these food safety enhancements. In the short term, we will be looking to our current inspection staff to work hours in addition to their regularly scheduled shifts. As much as possible, overtime hours will be assigned on a voluntary basis beginning in early November. We continue to discuss these plans with PSAC and the meat industry. We appreciate their cooperation in addressing this challenge. Employees are encouraged to speak to their managers for more information on these new food safety enhancements and the requirement of overtime hours. A set of Qs and As has been drafted and are attached for your use. Please share them with your staff as you see fit. Thank you for your ongoing support. Cameron Prince -30-
News releases issued by the Agriculture Union in 2009, beginning with the most recent, are listed below. Click on the title to read the entire text. Canadians place food safety trust in government - Nanos poll (May 20, 2009) Rejection of legislation to gut the Canadian Grain Commission applauded (April 2, 2009) Attack on grain farmers renewed (February 24, 2009)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 20, 2009 Canadians place food safety trust in government - Nanos poll (N.B. Poll results are after the news release) Ottawa – The vast majority of Canadians want government to step in and play a much more active role to ensure food safety because they don’t trust industry to do the job, according to a new Nanos survey. Seven in ten Canadians believe Ottawa should invest more resources and be more hands-on in policing the safety of food, while only one in five believe the government should rely more on the food industry to police its own safety processes. The survey also found that only four per cent of Canadians have a high level of trust in food companies to assess themselves when it comes to compliance with safety rules. “Public opinion is far ahead of Ottawa’s current approach to inspecting food companies for compliance with safety rules. Currently, there simply are not enough inspectors to verify that processed meat producers are following the safety rules and that’s not good enough for Canadians,” said Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC, which commissioned the poll. On Monday, May 25 at 4 pm, Bob Kingston will be testifying before the parliamentary committee investigating the listeriosis outbreak. The survey found that 64 per cent of Canadians either blame the government for turning over critical inspection duties to industry or business for cutting food safety corners to save money. Only 27 per cent subscribe to the view that the outbreak was simply an unfortunate and unavoidable accident. “Canadians reject industry and government’s explanation that an unforeseen and unavoidable risk led to last summer’s food poisoning outbreak that left 22 people dead. This was a failure of the inspection system, in spite of what business and government decision-makers would like us to believe, and Canadians want it fixed,” Kingston said. Some MPs on the parliamentary committee investigating the listeriosis outbreak and food safety have been troubled that government officials, including Minister Ritz and Canadian Food Inspection Agency President Carole Swann, have refused to accept ultimate responsibility for what happened last summer. On the question of who should be responsible, Canadians are very clear: 73 per cent think the government should take the lead role in ensuring food safety standards are met, while only 18 per cent think food business can ensure food safety standards are met for the foods they produce. Nanos Research conducted a random telephone survey of 1,001 Canadians, 18 years-of-age and over, from April 25th to May 3rd to produce these data. A sample of this size produces a margin of accuracy of plus or minus 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20. -30- POLL QUESTIONS Q1. Which group do you trust most to ensure that the food consumed by Canadians is safe: [Rotate] Government food inspectors and scientists, food company employees, grocery store employees? Government food inspectors and scientists 72.4% Food company employees 13.7% Grocery store employees 5.9% Unsure 7.9% Q2. Do you think that [ROTATE] the government should rely more on the food industry to police its own safety processes or that the federal government should invest more resources and be more hands on in policing the safety of food? The government should rely more on the food industry to police its own safety processes 21.9% The federal government should invest more resources and be more hands-on 70.5% in policing the safety of food Unsure 7.5% Q3. On a scale of 1 to 5 -- where 1 is not at all trust and 5 is very much trust -- how much trust would you place in unverified safety compliance assessment reports food companies conduct themselves and provide to government? Not at all trust 2 3 4 Very much trust Don’t know 23.0% 27.3% 33.0% 8.4% 4.0% 4.3% Q4. Some people think that [ROTATE] food businesses can ensure food safety standards are met for the foods they produce, others think that the government should take the lead role in ensuring food safety standards are met. Which of these views best reflects your personal view? Food businesses can ensure food safety standards are met for the foods they produce 18.0% The government should take the lead role in ensuring food safety standards are met 72.7% Unsure 9.4% Q5. As you may know, and outbreak of listeriosis last summer killed 22 people and left many others ill. Which of the following do you think best describes why these incidents occurred? They are simply unfortunate and unavoidable accidents 27.3% Businesses cut food safety corners to save money 37.9% The government turned over critical inspection duties to industry 25.7% Unsure 9.1%
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 2, 2009 Rejection of legislation to gut the Canadian Grain Commission applauded Ottawa – Canada’s grain inspectors and their union applaud the move today by the opposition parties in the House of Commons to reject Bill C-13, an act that would gut the Canadian Grain Commission and undermine the interests of farmers. “The government has known since last year that this bill was fatally flawed so it should come as no surprise that the opposition pushed today to remove it from the agenda of the House of Commons,” says Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC which represents grain inspectors. Instead of helping Canada’s grain producers in these troubled economic times, the amendments to the Canada Grain Act in Bill C-13 would: • Shift the purpose of the Grain Act away from protecting producer interests; of grain companies; and grown by individual farmers and introduce new safety concerns. “Today’s development will give the government an opportunity to do the homework and make improvements to this bill that so many have called for. We welcome this development and urge the government to go back to the drawing board,” Kingston said. “These changes will hurt grain producers just like the Conservative’s effort to strip farmer control of the Canadian Wheat Board which has been vigorously opposed by grain farmers,” Kingston concluded. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 24, 2009 Attack on grain farmers renewed Ottawa – Amendments to the Canada Grain Act tabled in Parliament yesterday signal a renewal of the federal government’s attack on grain farmers, according to the Agriculture Union - PSAC. Instead of helping Canada’s grain producers in these troubled economic times, the amendments to the Canada Grain Act in Bill C-13 would: • shift the purpose of the Grain Act away from protecting producer interests; • expose producers to financial harm by eliminating the requirement for grain buyers to post security bonds; • dismantle the Grain Appeals Tribunal that protects producers from unscrupulous behaviour on the part of grain companies; and • eliminate Commission services that independently determine the quality and quantity of grain delivered, returning producers to the position of not knowing if they are receiving fair payment. “These changes will hurt grain producers just like the Conservative’s effort to strip farmer control of the Canadian Wheat Board. They also threaten the quality advantage Canadian producers enjoy over competitors,” says Agriculture Union President Bob Kingston. Bill C-13 which was introduced today replicates the changes to the Canada Grain Act which were scorned by the opposition parties during the last Parliament. Liberal, NDP and Bloc MPs were united in panning the government’s proposal. “Based on the reception this bill received during the last Parliament, I expect it will be amended by the opposition MPs on the Agriculture Committee in order to better reflect the interests of grain producers,” says Bob Kingston. - 30 -
News releases issued by the Agriculture Union in 2008, beginning with the most recent, are listed below. Click on the title to read the entire text. Conservatives to kill meat inspection in Manitoba (September 18, 2008) Tainted food sparks national safety campaign (September 12, 2008) Minister Ritz misleads Canadians (August 28, 2008) Grain Commission funding cuts mean higher producer costs; Safety and quality threatened (May 14, 2008) Campaign launched against Conservative Bill that will cost Thunder Bay one hundred jobs (March 26, 2008) Community to call for action with one hundred Thunder Bay jobs on the line (March 25, 2008) New Grain Commission chief tells Parliament where to go! (February 12, 2008) Retract Grain Commission Gag Order (February 6, 2008) Withdraw Conservative bill that threatens Canadian grain producers and valuable exports (February 1, 2008)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2008 Conservatives to kill meat inspection in Manitoba Winnipeg – If elected, a federal Conservative government plans to stop delivering provincial meat inspection programs in Manitoba leaving local consumers exposed to the risk of unsafe meat. The plan is revealed in a secret Treasury Board of Canada decision record, dated May 6, 2008, documenting the acceptance of a proposal concerning "Provincial Meat Slaughter Establishments (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, British Columbia)" which calls for the "elimination of federal delivery of provincial "Meat produced in provincially registered facilities in Manitoba would not be inspected by anyone under this plan," says Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union - Public Service Alliance of Canada, which has launched www.foodsafetyfirst.ca, a tool for voters to email their local candidates during the federal election to urge them to make a commitment to food safety. The campaign is being organized jointly with the Professional Institute of the Public Service Canada. The Treasury Board decision record says that following approval of a detailed implementation plan, "including risk mitigation and communications strategies," the cuts will come into force. In Manitoba, the federal government delivers provincial meat inspection programs ensuring provincially registered slaughter facilities meet sanitation and other safety regulations. There are more than 30 provincially-registered meat establishments in Manitoba that produce everything from beef to bison, ostrich to turkey and whose products cannot be shipped outside the province. "As we've seen during recent weeks, the federal government should be increasing food inspection, not cutting it," Kingston says. The government of Stephen Harper has steadily cut funding for food safety programs and shifted responsibility for safety assurance to the food companies themselves. According to current Treasury Board of Canada forecasts, funding for food safety programs will have declined by almost 30% from $359 million in 2006/07 to $254 million in 2010/11 under Mr. Harper's watch. Meanwhile, the government plans to expand industry self-policing of safety. The same Treasury Board record also reveals plans to: "shift from full-time Canadian Food Inspection Agency meat inspection presence to an The Food Safety First campaign is urging federal candidates to endorse a • Hire 1000 additional inspectors and veterinarians to improve industry compliance with safety regulations. encounter potential public health risks in the plants they inspect. "Voters can visit www.foodsafetyfirst.ca to send a message asking their candidates to make a commitment to food safety. When the candidates are asking voters for their support, there's no better time to ask the candidates to make this commitment," Kingston said. The Agriculture Union - PSAC represents federal food inspectors and its President Bob Kingston is an Inspection Supervisor on leave from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Before going on a leave of absence to serve as an elected union officer, Kingston spent 25 years as a CFIA and Agriculture Canada inspector, including 15 years as a multi-commodity supervisor, a senior level inspector position. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 12, 2008 Tainted food sparks national safety campaign Toronto – Federal candidates across the country are being asked to make a Commitment to Food Safety as part of a national campaign launched in Toronto this morning. “The outbreaks of listeriosis due to tainted food products have shaken the country's confidence in our food protection system. The system is broken and needs fixing,” says Patricia Ducharme, Executive Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. The campaign features a website – www.foodsafetyfirst.ca – which allows visitors to send a message to ask local candidates to take make a Commitment to Food Safety, a four-point action plan to fix the system. Radio, print and online ads will be used during the federal election to spread the word about the campaign, as will events across the country. “Our unions are launching this campaign now, because of the urgent need for action and political commitment on the issue of food safety before more Canadians lives are put at risk,” says Michèle Demers, President of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada. The government of Stephen Harper has steadily cut funding for food safety programs and shifted responsibility for safety assurance to the food companies themselves. According to current Treasury Board of Canada forecasts, funding for food safety programs will have declined by almost 30 per cent from $359-million in 2006/07 to $254-million in 2010-2011 under Mr. Harper's watch. “There are too few inspectors who spend too much time reviewing company-generated reports in a system that relies too much on the food industry to police itself when it comes to safety," says Agriculture Union President Bob Kingston, a food inspection supervisor on leave from the CFIA. The campaign aims to drum up support among candidates and the federal parties for the following policies to improve food safety in Canada: • Hire 1,000 additional inspectors and veterinarians to improve compliance: There are almost 800 federally regulated meat processing facilities scattered across Canada, many processing thousands of animals everyday. There are also thousands of cheese, produce and other food production facilities, as well as delis and other retail outlets, all of which are potential sources for deadly food-borne bacteria. This territory is far too vast for the 1,100 fully-qualified process food inspectors and 230 meat hygiene veterinarians currently on staff. While the problem of food-borne illness is complex, one dimension of the problem is clear: our food inspectors are too few and spread too thinly. For example, the inspector responsible for the Maple Leaf plant which was the source of tainted meat in the latest food-borne bacterial outbreak also is responsible for six other facilities. In order to ensure companies follow food safety regulations we simply need more inspectors. • Place an immediate moratorium on industry self-policing policies: Under changes introduced on March 31st this year, including at Maple Leaf Foods in Toronto, meat inspectors are now directly supervising from the plant floor only 25 per cent of the time. The rest of the time, federal meat inspectors review company-generated reports. This reality falls far short of the target for inspectors to spend half their time inspecting hands-on under the new ‘Compliance Verification System’. Beyond meat processing, industry self-policing has been extended to poultry; monitoring the health of birds was transferred from inspectors to the private sector in the fall of 2007. Plans the Conservative government has approved but not entirely implemented will give industry more self-policing powers when it comes to safety. The Compliance Verification System, the Poultry Rejection Program and future self-policing plans should be put on hold. • Remove obstacles preventing CFIA inspectors and veterinarians from taking immediate action: CFIA inspectors are discouraged from taking immediate action when serious health problems arise. Instead, they are strongly encouraged to give the offending company a ‘Corrective Action Request’ which states the nature of the problem and gives the company up to 60 days to address it. The theory of immediate action of the part of inspectors becomes more remote because under the ‘Compliance Verification System’ inspectors spend 75 per cent of their time at the plant reviewing company-generated reports, instead of inspecting facilities. This approach is part and parcel of the move toward industry self-policing when it comes to safety. • Restore the system of public audit reports which were cancelled under pressure from the meat industry: For 20 years, government inspectors reported and ranked the meat processing facilities they inspected. Under pressure from an industry lobby group called the Canadian Meat Council which complained about the bad press these reports created when obtained by reporters, the federal government cancelled the practice soon after Stephen Harper took office. Canadians need to know which companies are meeting safety standards and which companies are not and the public audit system should be restored. - 30 - 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 28, 2008 Minister Ritz misleads Canadians Ottawa – Assurances by Minister Ritz that Canada’s food processing industry is adequately supervised by government inspectors are misleading and dishonest, says Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC. Processed meats sold in Canada do not require the same level of hands-on oversight by government inspectors as products for export to the US market. “Assurances by the Minister and CFIA officials that inspectors’ daily presence and direct oversight of product sampling are required do not apply to processed meats sold in Canada. These higher standards are required for processing plants to have access to US consumers,” said Bob Kingston, President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC, which represents the inspectors. There is no requirement for daily presence of inspectors in plants that do not export, so Canadians do not enjoy these more stringent standards and inspection procedures. “Yesterday, the Minister made all kinds of sweeping claims about the safeguards that are in place when it comes to processed meats. He neglected to add that all these safeguards are not available to Canadian consumers. In terms of food safety, it would seem that Canadians are second class citizens as far as CFIA requirements are concerned,” Kingston said. Kingston, an Inspection Supervisor on leave from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, dismissed the Minister’s assertion yesterday that inspectors spend half of their working day ‘on the floor of the plant’ as pure fiction. “The inspector responsible for the Maple Leaf plant is responsible for a total of seven food processing and cold storage facilities, one of which requires his presence several hours a day,” Kingston said. “Inspectors cannot be ‘in place on a daily basis at federally regulated meat establishments’ as claimed yesterday by CFIA officials – there simply are not enough hours in the day,” Kingston said. “Minister Ritz should come clean and stop misleading Canadians on such a critically important issue as food safety, especially in the tragic circumstances we are in,” Kingston said. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 14, 2008 Grain Commission funding cuts mean higher producer costs: Safety and quality threatened Ottawa – Conservative government plans to drastically reduce Canadian Grain Commission spending will hurt grain producers and Canada's international reputation for quality, according to three former senior officials of the federal agency and the Agriculture Union which represents employees of the CGC. A new government spending forecast released this morning comes to light a day before Agriculture Minister Ritz is scheduled to testify on his department's spending before the Commons Agriculture Committee. A spending forecast published by the federal government shows Grain Commission producer protection programs will be slashed by 67% while grain quality programs will be reduced by almost half and research programs will be cut by 60%. “As Ottawa's contribution goes down, producer costs will rise,” said Albert Schatzke, a former Commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission. The spending forecast is in line with a Conservative government legislative proposal – Bill C-39 – which would gut the Grain Commission's inspection, weighing and independent oversight that ensures producers are treated fairly. The Canadian Grain Commission protects producers by ensuring their grain shipments are accurately weighed and graded so growers are properly paid. The Commission's independent arbitration process levels the playing field between individual producers and the powerful grain companies they must deal with when disputes arise. “These cuts will undermine grain producers in their dealings with grain companies, which have never been more powerful. Canada's reputation for top quality grain will be hurt too. You can't protect producers and make these cuts at the same time,” said Bob Douglas. These Commission activities would be eliminated by Bill C-39, against the unanimous advice of the all-party Commons Agriculture Committee which recently completed a study on the future of the Grain Commission. Product safety is another important role of the Canadian Grain Commission. Inward inspections conducted by the CGC before grain gets into the terminal elevator system identify dangerous contaminants like mercury and fungi such as ergot and fusarium -- bio hazards that are extremely dangerous to human health. Inward inspections also offer early warning alerts of the presence of glass, metal shavings, rocks and other safety hazards in grain shipments arriving at terminal elevators, as well as bug infestations. C-39 would kill inward inspection services by the Grain Commission. “At a time when food safety is a top priority for Canadians, Bill C-39 is undermining the safety of Canadian grain products,” said Donna Welke. “The Agriculture Union calls on the Government to withdraw this flawed legislation. Minister Ritz should also instruct the Canadian Grain Commission to, at the very least, maintain the level of service it now provides to producers,” concluded Bob Kingston, Executive Vice-President of the Agriculture Union (PSAC). Albert Schatzke was Commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission (1997-2006); Donna Welke is the former Assistant Commissioner from Saskatchewan (1994 - 2006), Bob Douglas is the former Assistant Commissioner from Manitoba (2000 – 2006). - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2008 Campaign launched against Conservative Bill that will cost Thunder Bay one hundred jobs Thunder Bay - Local Canadian Grain Commission workers and their supporters are launching a campaign to stop legislation that will gut the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) and cost the Thunder Bay area one hundred jobs. The campaign is aimed principally at local Conservative MP, Joe Comuzzi, who has been silent on the issue in spite of repeated invitations to join with others to stand up for our community. At issue is the elimination of inspection and weighing services and regulatory oversight of grain shipments proposed in Bill C-39 which is currently before the House of Commons. If Bill C-39 becomes law, Thunder Bay will take a significant economic hit and grain producers, consumers and the grain sector as a whole will face a serious threat. The end to “inward” inspection and weighing and the elimination of the CGC’s bonding program will put producers at a disadvantage when dealing with grain companies. Grain Commission inspection also serves to grade grains and identify and eliminate dangerous contaminants or bio hazards from the supply. Without these inspections both human health and Canada’s international reputation as a high quality producer will be at risk. Despite repeated requests, workers whose jobs are in jeopardy have yet to meet with local Conservative Member of Parliament Joe Comuzzi. In a letter to Comuzzi on March 3rd, Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) regional representative Judith Monteith – Farrell wrote, “As you know, these changes will result in the loss of 90 to 100 high paying jobs in Thunder Bay. The negative impact of this loss will ripple through our local economy with serious consequences. I am taking the unusual step of hand-delivering this letter to your constituency office out of a sense of frustration. ” In a subsequent meeting with Mr. Comuzzi’s assistant, the workers were told that their Member of Parliament would not be available for at least another two and one half weeks. “If the loss of one hundred jobs and a direct threat to the grains trade which represents three quarters of the total shipments through the Port of Thunder Bay doesn’t qualify for the attention of a local MP, I can’t imagine what would,” said Don Beese, President of local 30 of the Agriculture Union - PSAC. “The Union is asking the people of Thunder Bay to join us in demanding that Mr. Comuzzi stand up to his own government’s attempt to gut the Canadian Grain Commission,” added Beese. A campaign website launched today at grainaction.ca will direct messages from the public to Mr. Comuzzi and the Conservative Government. Bill C-39 will also deal a major blow to the Canadian grain economy as a whole. Experts expect that if C-39 becomes law it will undermine the Canadian Wheat Board and help to shift the flow of grain away from east-west, with Thunder Bay and its port in a key role, to a north-south trade pattern. When it introduced Bill C-39, the Conservative Government ignored the unanimous advice of an all-party House of Commons Committee which called for further analysis and study before proceeding with any changes to the Canadian Grain Commission. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 25, 2008 Community to call for action with one hundred Thunder Bay jobs on the line Thunder Bay - Representatives of the one hundred Thunder Bay area Canadian Grain Commission employees who stand to lose their jobs if new federal legislation is enacted will be joined by political and community representatives to launch a campaign to stand up for Thunder Bay. When: Wednesday, March 26th at 9.30 AM Legislation currently before parliament Bill C-39 will cripple the Canadian Grain Commission by eliminating “inward” weighing and inspection and other services in Thunder Bay and communities across Canada. Bill C-39 poses a triple threat to Canada’s important grain sector. Reduced services and bonding will hit grain producers hard; a dramatic reduction in grain inspection will increase the risk of contaminants or bio hazards and will undermine Canada’s international reputation as a quality producer. The Conservative Government introduced Bill C-39 despite the unanimous advice of an all-party House of Commons Committee which called for further analysis and study before proceeding with any changes to the Canadian Grain Commission. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 12, 2008 New Grain Commission chief tells Parliament where to go! Ottawa – Former Reform MP Elwin Hermanson who was appointed chief commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission only weeks ago is advocating in favour of a controversial bill that has never been endorsed by Parliament. Hermanson authored a strongly worded opinion article in favour of amendments to the Canada Grain Act in Bill C-39 which was published in the February 7th edition of The Western Producer. Mr. Hermanson declares in his opinion article: “As chief commissioner of the CGC, I strongly support this legislation… .” The bill would gut or kill several services and regulatory oversight activities of the Canadian Grain Commission, leaving producers newly disadvantaged in their dealings with grain companies and undermining the quality and food safety assurance programs Canada’s international reputation for excellence are built upon. C-39 has not cleared second reading debate in the Commons and many MPs report having serious reservations about it. “Normally, senior public servants implement legislation or policy rather than telling Parliament what the law should be,” said Bob Kingston, Executive Vice-President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC, which represents most people who work at the Commission. Kingston added: “Mr. Hermanson has set a new low for double standards given that the Commission recently threatened employees with disciplinary action if they criticize the government over the bill he is promoting.” On December 21st, the Canadian Grain Commission issued a memo to employees forbidding them to publicly criticize Bill C-39, the government’s proposal to cripple the Commission. The memo from Diane Shapiro, Director of Human Resources threatens Canadian Grain Commission employees with possible disciplinary action if they criticize the government. Mr. Hermanson’s 5 year patronage appointment to head the Canadian Grain Commission is effective January 21st. Hermanson was a Reform Party MP from 1993 to 1997 and leader of the conservative Saskatchewan Party from 1998 to 2004. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has close political ties to Mr. Hermanson, serving as his campaign manager during the 1993 election and constituency assistant thereafter. “It seems clear Mr. Hermanson has his own agenda and it may well be different than Parliament’s,” Kingston said. The Agriculture Union – PSAC represents 9500 people who work at Agriculture Canada, the Canadian Grain Commission, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, and other workplaces. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 6, 2008 Retract Grain Commission Gag Order Ottawa – Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz should retract a gag order which threatens Canadian Grain Commission employees who speak out against his government’s legislative proposal to gut the Commission, according to the Agriculture Union – PSAC which represents the employees. On December 21st, the Canadian Grain Commission issued a memo to employees forbidding them to publicly criticize Bill C-39, the government’s proposal to cripple the Commission. “We hope the Minister will disassociate himself from the Commission’s intimidation and assure employees they are free to express their opinion,” said Bob Kingston, National Vice-President of the Agriculture Union – PSAC. The memo from Diane Shapiro, Director of Human Resources threatens Canadian Grain Commission employees with possible disciplinary action if they criticize the government. “With the government’s recent track record of firing and silencing its critics, we are concerned that our members will feel threatened in the extreme by this gag order. We urge the Minister to direct the Commission to retract this effort to silence Commission employees,” Kingston said. The full text of the Canadian Grain Commission’s gag order follows: Question: As a CGC employee what can I tell my MP about my response to C-39? Answer: You are free to convey your views to your Member of Parliament, so long as you do not publicly criticize the Government of Canada or otherwise bring into question your ability to perform your employment duties and carry out government policy and programs in an impartial manner. Question: As a CGC employee can I become involved in public campaigns to amend C-39, such as letters to the editor or other letter writing campaigns? Answer: The Supreme Court of Canada has acknowledged that while public servants have constitutionally protected right to freedom of expression, this freedom has limits. The Supreme Court and other courts have identified that a public servant has a legal duty of loyalty to the employer, and must not engage in public criticism of the employer where that criticism could create an impression that the employee may not be able to perform their duties, and carry out government policy and programs, in an impartial manner. For example, if you identify yourself as a CGC employee in a letter to the editor that criticizes government policy relating to the CGC, you could create a perception that your views of government policy are not impartial and that you may not be able to follow or apply government policy in an impartial manner. We would like to remind you that inappropriate behaviour by employees on web sites, blogs, and public fora (newspapers and meetings etc.) could result in administrative and/or disciplinary action. The Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service <http://www.psagency-agencefp.gc.ca/veo-bve/vec-cve/vec-cve_e.asp> sets out the standard of behaviour expected of CGC employees. We count on each of you to refer to these codes to assist you in making ethical decisions. We encourage you to consult your manager should you need further clarification and guidance. - 30 -
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 1, 2008 Withdraw Conservative bill that threatens Canadian grain producers and valuable exports Ottawa – The federal government should withdraw amendments to the Grain Act in Bill C-39 because it will hurt grain producers and it ignores the unanimous advice from an all-party Commons committee, according to the Agriculture Union-PSAC. The Conservative government’s proposed legislation will gut the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), the independent body that provides essential services to grain producers. Bill C-39 will be debated for the first time in Parliament today. The legislation ignores the recommendation of an all–party committee by immediately and aggressively cutting the CGC’s regulatory responsibilities and services. After extensive study, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture recommended that the Commission receive increased funding to ensure that the essential services it offers to grain producers can be sustained. “Instead of heeding the advice of politicians from all parties, the Conservative government is putting the future of farmers and of all Canadians who benefit from the grain trade at risk. This bill should be withdrawn and fixed before it is debated in Parliament,” said Bob Kingston, Executive Vice President of Agricultural Union - PSAC. Bill C-39 will eliminate mandatory weighing and inspection by the Grain Commission which ensures that grains of different quality can be segregated, to protect higher grades from being diluted by lower quality grain. Farmers of high quality product stand to lose the premium paid by international buyers and Canada’s reputation as a producer of highest quality grain will be threatened. Once this “quality incentive” to ship Canadian grain separate from American grain is lost, Canadian grain will be shipped overland, mixed with the lower quality American product and shipped through US ports threatening the Canadian transportation network, ports and other sectors that thrive on grain exports. C-39 also ends the Commission’s key role in determining payments to farmers and protecting them from financial harm in the event of grain buyer bankruptcy or refusal to pay. “This government appears to be willing to put one of our country’s most important export sectors at risk” said Patty Ducharme, Executive Vice-President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada. “While we are concerned about the impact on our members who provide important services at the Canadian Grain Commission – more than 200 stand to lose their jobs, the long term damage C-39 will do to grain producers and Canada’s international reputation is a far greater threat to the future of our members and all Canadians.” The Agriculture Union is over 9,000 members from coast-to-coast-to coast who share one common goal: to serve and protect the public interest. The Union represents most of the people who work at the Canadian Grain Commission. Our members are front-line defenders of public health, supporters of sustainable agriculture and guardians of a secure food chain. - 30 -
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