News - April 2007                   Previous Month         Following Month

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

National Council keeps skills sharp with training

on new Public Service Employment Act

CFIA receives our input on draft Policy on the Internal Disclosure

of Information Concerning Wrongdoing

Online applications now open for PSAC Access Conference

Update – PI Review

Agriculture Union enlists the Bloc Québécois

at Parliamentary news conference to protest

DND’s retreat on bilingual requirements for officers

Mediation leads to resolution of the EG-03 Fair Labelling Practices

and Food Safety Inspector grievances

An especially happy Easter for some of PEI’s most deserving families,

thanks to Local 4

PI Review – Don’t listen to rumours!

Our March Rand campaign winner is…

National Council keeps skills sharp with training on new Public Service Employment Act

(Posted April 26, 2007)

The introduction of a ‘new’ Public Service Employment Act has created its own set of challenges for Agriculture Union representatives.

Today's PSEA provides even greater 'flexibility' for management, creating the potential for greater abuse. It also establishes a new recourse mechanism that is, at the same time, both more restrictive and less accessible to federal public service workers.

Members of our National Council – in Ottawa for their semi-annual meeting – took the opportunity in mid-April to receive a thorough grounding on the new PSEA from Theresa Johnson, Coordinator, PSMA for the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

The above photo shows the training session in progress.

CFIA receives our input on draft Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing

(Posted April 20, 2007)

The Agriculture Union recently met with management of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to discuss a draft Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing. The Policy provides a means for public service employees to address alleged or perceived wrongdoing in the workplace, as defined by the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act.

CFIA noted that the proposed Policy is expected to take effect sometime in April 2007, following consultation with Bargaining Agents.

The Agriculture Union raised a number of questions and concerns with respect to the proposed draft Policy, such as:
          • reprisal against employees;
          • application of the Policy if there is ‘imminent danger’ and use of the press;
          • how the Policy applies to Third Party Premises;
          • review of the Policy;
          • reporting process to Bargaining Agents;
          • the need for more information concerning corrective measures applicable when complaints are deemed

                 founded; and
          • the need for a communication plan to ensure employees are properly informed on this new Policy.

CFIA took into consideration our comments and responded to a number of the issues raised. Some will require further review and consultation.

In brief, CFIA responded with the following:
          • reprisal issues are to be handled by the Commissioner at the Public Service Human Resources

                  Management Agency of Canada (PSHRMAC) – not by any department or agency and harassment

                  would be seen as reprisal;
          • they are further looking into how the Policy applies to Third-Party Premises;
          • disclosure by an employee to the press regarding wrongdoing in the workplace when ‘imminent danger’ is

                  in play, would not be considered a breach of Policy;
          • the Policy will be revised to include examples of corrective measures when wrongdoing is deemed to have

                  occurred;
          • an effective communication and training plan will be put into place by CFIA so as to ensure that employees

                  are familiarized with the Policy; and
          • the Policy will be reviewed on a regular basis.

CFIA also noted that a Code of Conduct for CFIA employees will be developed over the next few months and, to this end, Bargaining Agents will be consulted.

We will continue to keep you apprised of developments as they occur.

Online applications now open for PSAC Access Conference

(Posted April 19, 2007)

Potential delegates may now register online for the upcoming PSAC Access Conference, which will be held in Ottawa on September 6-9. Delegates to this Conference must self-identify as a person with a disability.

Full details and the online application can be found HERE.

The Agriculture Union is strongly committed to equality for all members – both in our workplaces and in our union. All applicable members in good standing are encouraged to apply for delegate status.

Please note that there are no exceptions to the deadline – Thursday May 10, 4 p.m. Ottawa time (EST). If you have any questions, please contact your Regional EO Representative or the National EO Director.

Update – PI Review

(Posted April 16, 2007)

We have recently met with the CFIA to discuss the PI review grievances and we are cautiously optimistic that many of the grievances may be resolved in the near future.

At the time of the last meeting, the work of CFIA’s classification committees was complete. However, no decisions had been made regarding implementation.

CFIA is working internally to sort out the results and come up with a plan they can share with us, but they are not there yet. They have, however, stated quite clearly that there is a strong commitment from CFIA’s senior management to finally resolve this lengthy dispute.

We are planning to meet with the Agency again in early May and hopefully we will have something more to report.

Please keep in mind that this is a complicated file and resolution will probably not be a simple process. Even a very positive result could have logistical challenges that require time for implementation.

There definitely appears to be willingness on the part of CFIA, but they have told us they want to proceed carefully so they don’t create more problems than they solve.

That approach seems wise to us at this point, but we are hoping we will not have to wait too much longer.

We will keep our members posted.

Agriculture Union enlists the Bloc Québécois at Parliamentary news conference to protest DND’s retreat on bilingual requirements for officers

(Posted April 13, 2007)

The Agriculture Union has enlisted the Bloc Québécois to help battle moves by the Department of National Defence to scale back requirements that officers acquire proficiency in both official languages.

The photos below show National President Yves Ducharme and Idelta Vieira, National Director for our National Defence members addressing Ottawa press gallery members at an April 13 news conference on Parliament Hill. They were joined by Danielle Moffet, also a language teacher at the Canadian Forces Language School in St-Jean, Quebec.

This media event was organized by the BQ following a letter Ducharme sent to all Members of Parliament and Senators earlier this year. In that letter, he took DND to task, criticizing both the backtracking on official-language requirements and the operational difficulties this could cause the Canadian Armed Forces here in Canada and abroad.

Two BQ Members of Parliament participated in the news conference: Claude Bachand, who represents the St-Jean riding, and Richard Nadeau, the party’s spokesperson on official bilingualism matters.

Our St-Jean members learned January 31 that a 33-week course for officers graduating from the military’s Leadership Centre could be cancelled sometime this year.

This shameful retreat on bilingualism in a high-profile federal institution – the Canadian Armed Forces – throws into question the entire commitment of DND and the Harper government to official language policy.

Mediation leads to resolution of the EG-03 Fair Labelling Practices and Food Safety Inspector grievances

(Posted April 12, 2007)

Successful mediation sessions the first week of April have resulted in a Memorandum of Settlement with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency that will see our EG-03 – Fair Labelling Practices and Food Safety Inspectors receive amended and agreed-upon job descriptions by the beginning of June.

The next step in the process is to have the job description evaluated to determine the point rating by factor, group and level.

This outcome represents a clear victory for both our union and these members, whose grievances have been ‘in the mill’ for a considerable period of time.

An especially happy Easter for some of PEI’s most deserving families, thanks to Local 4

(Posted April 5, 2007)

Prince Edward Island, due to its small population and island life, is a close-knit community. Helping your neighbours and working together for the common good come naturally to Islanders. It’s a philosophy well understood and appreciated by union members.

It was in this spirit that Local 4 President Gary Paynter and his members decided to make a special gesture in the run-up to the Easter weekend to help some of PEI’s most deserving families.

Local 4 went to market…to the auction, actually… and ended up the proud owners of a reserved champion steer! Gary and Local 4 member Jill Potts, a BSE Inspector, can be seen in the photo below with their blue-ribbon, four-footed friend. The $2,500 auction price was backed by funds from the Local, the Agriculture Union National Office and the Public Service Alliance of Canada – Atlantic Region.

Local 4 arranged for the beef to be dressed, packaged and delivered to the Charlottetown Food Bank just in time for Easter dinners.

The actions and generosity of Local 4 members was widely noted and appreciated, both by those at the auction and by the staff of the food bank. And, in a small place like PEI, the word is quickly getting around.

Gary says his members were “determined that it should be the most needy of the Island’s population who should get the benefit” of Local 4’s foray into the livestock trade.

With national contract negotiations getting under way, Gary notes that “we also wanted to reinforce to producers, processors and consumers alike that we’re always on their side in ensuring that safe, quality food reaches everyone’s home – at Easter, and all year round.”

Agriculture Union Local 4 represents CFIA inspectors, laboratory personnel and research and other technicians throughout PEI.

PI Review – Don’t listen to rumours!

(Posted April 4, 2007)

The purpose of this communication is to provide some clarification regarding rumours that have been circulated with respect to the pending resolution of the PI review.

There are rumours that CFIA has decided on a final solution to the PI Review grievances. These rumours are just that, rumours.

We know the classification committees have completed their work and there are meetings scheduled between our National Office and CFIA over the next few weeks to discuss possible options to resolve this longstanding issue. We are hoping the outcome will be a positive one.

Until then, we will not speculate about rumours or draft documents, which may or may not form part of CFIAs final proposal, and we are asking our members to be patient for a little longer.

We will keep you apprised of any new developments as confirmed information becomes available.

Our March Rand campaign winner is…

(Posted April 4, 2007)

Tara Sastaunik is the March winner in our coast-to-coast campaign to sign up ‘Rands’ – dues-paying co-workers who, for one reason or another, have yet to sign a union card.

Tara is a newly-signed-up member of Local 40225, representing Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration workers in Regina.

Her name joins those of all Rands who sign membership cards by year’s-end in becoming eligible for our grand prize – two round-trip tickets to anywhere in Canada that Air Canada flies, or $1,000 in cash.

Congratulations, Tara, and welcome to the Agriculture Union!