News - October 2010                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.

Good luck in your acting position, but please remember….

Watch out for scam artists peddling so-called ‘Agriculture Union’ products!

Meraiah Krebs feted at PSAC for Labour College success

Nappan Local’s generosity reaches many Thanksgiving tables

PSAC reaches tentative agreement with Treasury Board for three-year contract covering Agriculture Union members in the PA, SV and EB groups

Meet our latest 'Rand Contest' winner...

Good luck in your acting position, but please remember….

(Posted October 25, 2010)

Appointment to an acting position can mean an opportunity to build career skills or to ‘look before you leap’ to a new type of government job.

However, anyone taking an acting position that is represented by another bargaining agent should be aware that the clock immediately starts to run down on your ability to turn to the Agriculture Union and our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, for assistance, services and programs.

For periods of four weeks or more in an acting position, federal public service labour law dictates that your membership switches to the bargaining agent that represents the position in which you are acting.

Should you need assistance after this period, we are not allowed to help. You are also then unable to participate in any activities, formal events or education courses organized by either the Agriculture Union of the PSAC.

And, of course, if you are acting in an excluded position, you are completely on your own after those four weeks.

If you do take on an acting position, we wish you the best. But we also want you to be aware of the limitations a lengthy acting assignment can place on your relationship with your union.

Watch out for scam artists peddling so-called ‘Agriculture Union’ products!

(Posted October 22, 2010)

Several of our Locals, in different parts of the country, have recently reported being approached by individuals purporting to be from the ‘Agriculture Union’ selling such items as pocket knives.

The Internet has opened up a world of opportunities for unscrupulous, fraudulent activity. Sadly, it appears that our own Union has fallen prey to scam artists. Local Presidents’ names are available on our Web site and can be used to add credibility to these scams.

We thank these Locals for bringing this misrepresentation to our attention and urge all our Locals to be vigilant.

Agriculture Union does not participate in any telemarketing of our merchandise. Clothing and products are ONLY available from our own ‘Boutique’, located HERE on our Web site. Should any of our Locals be approached by scam artists, they should contact the National Office and report the incident to their local police.

Meraiah Krebs feted at PSAC for Labour College success

(Posted October 19, 2010)

The Agriculture Union’s own Meraiah Krebs was among the graduates of the 2010 Labour College of Canada program to be honoured at the most recent meeting of the National Board of Directors of the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Meraiah is the National Director for our members employed by the Canada School of Public Service and the Public Service Commission.

The photos above show Meraiah recounting her Labour College experience to the members of the PSAC NBoD, and standing with Bob Kingston, Agriculture Union National President.

Meraiah was among the 35 graduates of the 2010 College program. Her attendance was supported with a scholarship provided by the PSAC.

The Labour College, which first opened its doors to workers in 1963, today offers a four-week Intensive Program of post-secondary learning for union activists who want to enhance their leadership capacities. It involves both in-residency and home study modules.

Information on the 2011 Labour College program is available HERE on the Canadian Labour Congress Web site.

(Please note that the Labour College operates in English. Francophones residing in Quebec may be interested in a similar educational opportunity offered by the Quebec Federation of Labour: the Collège FTQ-Fonds. Information on the Collège can be viewed HERE.)

Nappan Local’s generosity reaches many Thanksgiving tables

(Posted October 11, 2010)

It’s a case of a good deed not quickly forgotten.

The members of Agriculture Union Local 80058 well remember how the people of the region of Amherst, Nova Scotia rallied in 2005 to help stop the planned closure of the 143-year-old Nappan Research Farm.

In what has now become an annual tradition, our Union continues to say ‘thanks’ by providing hundreds of pounds of dressed Grade A beef to Cumberland County’s food banks in time for the autumn holiday weekend.

As in past years, the Local bought a steer from the 4H Show and Sale at the Cumberland County Exhibition. Pictured above with their prized steer are, from left to right: and Nappan Research Farm members Brian Trueman, Mark Trueman, Paul Baker, Jeff Bacon, Jacob Fisher and Breanna Curry (owner of the steer).

Patricia Wilson, administrator of Amherst’s Food Assistant Network notes that some 250 families turn to the food bank each month. As distressing as that fact might be, it’s good to know that Local 80058’s annual efforts, supported by the Agriculture Union Social Justice Fund, are making an important difference.

PSAC reaches tentative agreement with Treasury Board for three-year contract covering Agriculture Union members in the PA, SV and EB groups

(Posted October 5, 2010)

Barely two weeks after our bargaining agent, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, entered early contract talks with Treasury Board, tentative agreements have been reached for Agriculture Union members belonging to the Program and Administrative Services (PA), Operational Services (SV) and Education and Library Science groups (EB).

Ratification votes for all 95,000 members of the PA, SV and EB groups will be organized by the PSAC in the weeks ahead.

If ratified, the proposed collective agreement will see a 5.25 per cent wage increase over three years: 1.75 per cent in 2011; 1.5 per cent in 2012; and, 2.0 per cent in 2013.

A number of changes would also be made to current severance pay rules. Details can be found HERE on the PSAC’s Web site.

Technical Services (TC) group

The bargaining team for the TC group did not reach a tentative agreement. The PSAC will proceed with the regular bargaining process when it serves notice to bargain in February 2011. We are determined to get the concerns of TC members addressed in the upcoming formal round of bargaining.

Meet our latest 'Rand Contest' winner...

(Posted October 1, 2010)

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

Joanna Adams is now a signed-up member of Local 7, which represents our Canadian Food Inspection Agency members in Saint John, New Brunswick..

Joanna receives an Agriculture Union T-shirt and a warm welcome to our union!