News - June 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.

CFIA President Carole Swan resigns

Successful completion of multi-year project, supported by our Social Justice Fund,

in remote Indian village

Reports of our National Council members to Convention now available

Two National Council members elected to senior PSAC regional leadership posts

Well-earned retirement for an ‘Island boy’

Agriculture Union stewards urged to complete PSAC survey

Secret Deal: Did CFIA promise to cut its overall budget

in exchange for more food inspection money?

Agriculture Union Social Justice Fund approves three new projects

Kingston offers constructive relationship with Minister, Official Opposition critics

in wake of federal election

CFIA President Carole Swan resigns

(Posted June 21, 2011)

Canadian Food Inspection Agency President Carole Swan is stepping down at the end of June, a full year ahead of the end of her appointment.

“We wish Carole well. She had a tough job to do, made more difficult by chronic underfunding, a reality that has prevented the CFIA from implementing all of the recommendations made by Sheila Weatherill to prevent another widespread food-borne illness like the Maple Leaf Foods listeriosis outbreak,” said National President Bob Kingston.

Swan was appointed CFIA Presiden on June 4, 2007 for a five-year term at the pleasure of the government.

“Appointing a new President of the CFIA will not address the inspector shortage or the other resources challenges that continue to plague the food safety system in Canada,” Kingston said. “We hope the new President will make it clear to the government that significant shortcomings in the food safety system in Canada will remain until sufficient safety and inspection resources are invested.”

Successful completion of multi-year project, supported by our Social Justice Fund, in remote Indian village

(Posted June 21, 2011)

Agriculture Union members can be very proud of the contributions to the quality of life – both here and abroad – made possible by donations from our Social Justice Fund.

The successful conclusion of one of our multi-year overseas projects was particularly gratifying: the construction by the Vivek Educational Foundation of Canada of a multi-purpose community building in the remote village of Musepur in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The project was approved by the Agriculture Union Social Justice Fund in 2009 and completed in February of this year. Musepur’s new community centre provides a long-needed place for:

          • schooling of some 40 children;
          • a community library;
          • adult education courses such as sewing and family planning;
          • health and nutrition programs delivered by a qualified nurse; and
          • agricultural extension programs provided by Indian government officials.

It is difficult for Canadians to understand the many human and natural challenges that stood in the way of the Musepur project. Project managers had to cope with everything from monsoon rains to slow-moving government bureaucracy to a shortage of materials caused by India’s booming economy.

As the only all-weather building in the village, the community centre runs uninterrupted services year-round. School enrollment has increased, enabling the village to hire an additional teacher to provide lessons in English, science and basic computer training.

Something as simple as a solar-powered lamp on the verandah for the first time brings villagers, young and old, together in the evening to talk, learn and play cards.

Reports of our National Council members to Convention now available

(Posted June 19, 2011)

The Agriculture Union’s By-Laws require each member of our National Council to prepare a report on their activities between Triennial National Conventions. With August’s 2011 Convention quickly approaching, we have begun to post these reports on our Web site.

Members can download and view individual reports by their particular National Council representative by clicking HERE.

Two National Council members elected to senior PSAC regional leadership posts

(Posted June 17, 2011)

The Agriculture Union is proud to have always played a constructive leadership role within the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Evidence of this could be most recently seen in the election of two of our National Council members to senior positions in the PSAC’s regional structure.

Bob Jackson (below left), long-time west coast union activist and for the past 18 years Regional Vice-President for our members in Western British Columbia and Yukon, was elected Regional Executive Vice-President for the British Columbia at the PSAC region’s May 13-15 Convention in Vancouver. Brother Jackson was a founding member of the PSAC BC Regional Council and is particularly respected for his in-depth knowledge of health and safety issues.

Just a month later, our own Marianne Hladun (above right) was elected Alternate REVP for the PSAC’s Prairies members at their June 10-12 Convention in Winnipeg. Sister Hladun, the Agriculture Union’s National Director for Human Rights, was a founding member of the PSAC’s Prairie Region Council and is well known in her native province of Saskatchewan for her wide involvement in labour causes.

The Agriculture Union is always well represented at these PSAC regional Conventions. The photo above shows National President Bob Kingston with our delegation to the PSAC Prairie Region Convention.

Brother Jackson and Sister Hladun did both themselves and their fellow Agriculture Union members proud in assuming these important positions. We wish them much success!

Well-earned retirement for an ‘Island boy’

(Posted June 9, 2011)

A quarter century is quite a run, but that’s how long our members on Prince Edward Island have been able to count on Gary Paynter for leadership and representation.

Gary took his official retirement from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency last April 1, after 11 years as Local 90004 President and more than that as Vice-President.

The photo above shows Gary receiving a commemorative plaque of thanks on behalf of Local 90004 members for his years of dedicated service. Eric Wonnacott, the current President, and Secretary-Treasurer Lloyd Kerry are seen at the centre and right of the picture.

Gary worked some three decades for CFIA on PEI, taking on a series of ever more challenging positions for the Agriculture Union and the Public Service Alliance of Canada along the way. While Gary may be officially retired, no-one who knows this ‘Island boy’ can imagine him not continuing to play a dynamic role in the life of his community and province!

Agriculture Union stewards urged to complete PSAC survey

(Posted June 8, 2011)

Our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, is undertaking a comprehensive survey of local union stewards from all its component unions, the Agriculture Union included.

The goal is two-fold: to build an up-to-date contact list of all workplace union representatives and, in the PSAC’s own words, “to improve communication with stewards, make changes to our education programs and find ways to connect stewards so that you can learn from each other.”

We urge all Agriculture Union stewards to take the time to complete the questionnaire. Everyone stands to gain from the ultimate improvement in tools and services that will flow from the PSAC survey. And, as an extra enticement, all those completing the survey will be entered in a draw for a new iPad.

Click HERE to access the PSAC Steward Survey.

Secret Deal: Did CFIA promise to cut its overall budget in exchange for more food inspection money?

(Posted June 7, 2011)

It seems hard to believe. But sources say the Canadian Food Inspection Agency volunteered to cut its overall operating budget by $35-million in the hope of getting additional up-front funds for food inspection in the June 6 federal budget.

That’s apparently what happened. And you can read more about this bizarre situation HERE.

Agriculture Union Social Justice Fund approves three new projects

(Posted June 6, 2011)

The Agriculture Social Justice Fund (AUSJF) has approved three new projects for funding in the current year.

The first, submitted by Local 40022, will support the High School Carpentry Apprenticeship Program at Saskatoon’s Mount Royal Collegiate. The successful program, run for the past seven years with backing from the Saskatoon School Board and Habitat for Humanity, helps high school students interested in a trades career gain the necessary skills and discipline through an extensive on-the job experience of building a home for a low-income family.

The second project, originating from Local 30045, will provide the soil, seed and fertilizer to create a Foodbanks Garden at the Beaverlodge Research Farm in north-western Alberta. It’s anticipated that virtually all Local members will be involved in the hands-on project, which hopes to grow up to one thousand pounds of fresh produce to be distributed at no cost to area foodbanks.

The last, but not least, of the three AUSJF grants will enable Local 80058 members at Nova Scotia 's Nappan Experimental Farm to continue their annual autumn purchase of a high-quality steer at auction for dressing, packaging and delivery to the local food bank.

These are just the latest of the many good works here and abroad supported by the Agriculture Social Justice Fund. As always, members can see the details of these and all our supported projects HERE on our Web site.

Kingston offers constructive relationship with Minister, Official Opposition critics in wake of federal election

(Posted June 2, 2011)

National President Bob Kingston has sent congratulatory letters to Gerry Ritz, the reappointed Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, as well as Official Opposition critics Malcolm Allen and Pat Martin. The personal letters were sent June 1.

“I know we both have a strong interest in the well-being of both the Canadian farming community and consumers,” Kingston wrote Ritz. “I also trust we share a commitment to quality federal government services and to the well-being of the dedicated women and men of the Agriculture Union who provide them.

“I am looking forward to a constructive working relationship and I hope that we might have the opportunity for an informal face-to-face meeting to discuss issues that fall within your Ministerial authority and significantly affect our members, such as the Canada Grain Act.”

In his letters to Allen and Martin – respectively NDP critics for agriculture and agri-food and for the Canadian Wheat Board – Kingston noted that “the Agriculture Union has been exceptionally vigorous over the life of the past minority government in challenging the Conservative government on both food safety shortcomings and its attempts to undermine the central role of the Canadian Grain Commission.

“Faced with a Harper majority government, we shall be stepping up our efforts on these and other issues of concern to both our members and the general public. Having had the opportunity of working with you, I appreciate your past support for Agriculture Union members. I look forward to a productive working relationship in the future.”