News - January 2011               Previous Month         Following Month

Headlines of the 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 Joint Council issues updated Occupational Health and Safety Directive

December’s Rand sign-up contest winner closes out

our successful year-long campaign

Get ready. It’s Convention year!

2011 round of Agriculture Union Regional Seminars begins the end of January

National Joint Council issues updated Occupational Health and Safety Directive

(Posted January 24, 2011)

The National Joint Council (NJC) has issued an updated Occupational Health and Safety Directive that took effect at the start of this month.

The NJC is a joint union-management consultative body that sets uniform employment practices, working conditions and benefits across the federal public service. Among the NJC's many Directives, one of the most important deals with workplace health and safety.

The NJC's Occupational Health and Safety Committee reviews this Directive on a three-year cycle. So, important revisions have been made to many key sections of the Directive: from those dealing with pesticides and electrical safety, to protective equipment and clothing and the operation of Workplace Health and Safety Committees.

The highlights of new Directive, which went into force January 1, can be viewed and downloaded by clicking HERE. The Directive in its entirety can be found by clicking HERE. It’s a document every Agriculture Union member should have on his or her New Year's reading list!

December’s Rand sign-up contest winner closes out our successful year-long campaign

(Posted January 21, 2011)

We’re pleased to announce our December winner in the Agriculture Union’s ‘Great 2010 Rand Sign-Up Contest'.

Kristopher Wonitowy now a signed-up member of Local 60, which represents our Canadian Grain Commmission members in Vancouver..

As our December winner, Kristopher wraps up a truly successful Rand sign-up effort across our Union.. How successful? Well, as this is written, we’re tallying up the numbers with an eye to giving everyone a report on the final results next week.

So, as they say, watch this space!

Get ready. It’s Convention year!

(Posted January 11, 2011)

When the clock struck midnight last New Year’s Eve, it also began the countdown to the Agriculture Union’s Triennial National Convention.

The Convention, our Union’s supreme governing body, will be held next August 17-19 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Delegates from across the country will come together to set the agenda and chart our Union’s course over the following three year period.

All our Locals can look forward to receiving Convention-related information from the National Office in the near future.

So, get ready. It’s Convention year. And the process is already underway!

2011 round of Agriculture Union Regional Seminars begin the end of January

(Posted January 6, 2011)

Here they come! The annual round of Agriculture Union Regional Seminars kicks off late January and continues throughout the following three months.

The dates and locale for each Regional Seminar are as follows:

          • Manitoba , Northwest Ontario and Nunavut – Jan. 28-30 – Thunder Bay;
          • British Columbia – Feb. 18-20 – Harrison Hot Springs Resort;
          • Ontario – March 4-6 – Toronto;
          • Alberta – March 11-13  – Lethbridge;
          • Saskatchewan – March 18-20 – Moose Jaw;
          • Atlantic – March 25-27 – Dartmouth; and
          • Quebec – April 8-10 – Quebec City.

The scope and mandate of these Seminars are governed by Regulation 4 of the Agriculture Union's by-laws and regulations. Executive members in each region – Regional Vice-Presidents and Directors – are charged with organizing the seminars and determining content that best meets their Locals' issues and needs. This built-in flexibility ensures the maximum benefit for all concerned.

Each Local within a region selects its Seminar participants. While these men and women have the responsibility of ensuring their members' concerns are aired, they are also expected to share national and regional information on their return.

The Regional Seminars themselves are a combination of education, information-sharing and networking. Skills-building workshops and topical information is provided by educators and facilitators from the Agriculture Union, the Public Service Alliance and relevant outside organizations. The process is two-way, with Local representatives contributing the critical workplace perspective in open discussion.

As this is an Agriculture Union convention year, it will be important for Local delegates to convention to attend the seminar in their region.

Elections to each of the pre-convention committees will take place at the seminar. Resolutions to convention from each seminar will also be debated and voted on.

As you can see, these Regional Seminars are more – much more – than a 'talk shop'. If you have a concern or issue that you feel deserves attention, now is the time to ensure your Local's representative to your Regional Seminar hears from you!