CFIA bargaining got off to a rocky start this week, with the Employer bargaining team flatly rejecting almost every single recommendation made by the Public Interest Commission.
In the first session of negotiations since the PIC released its report last July, CFIA gave a mind-numbing presentation on why it could not agree to even the most modest of the PIC’s recommendations.
“This is more than disappointing,” said Bob Kingston, President of Agriculture Union.
“This round of bargaining with CFIA has been a unique experience with respect to its lack of meaningful discussion and progress. In my 29 years of being involved in collective bargaining, I’ve never seen anything like it. CFIA’s inability to have a rational discussion on the issues before us has not changed one bit.”
The PSAC bargaining team endorsed the report of the Public Interest Commission immediately after it was issued, and called on the Agency to return to the bargaining table and use the recommendations as a guideline to a negotiated settlement.
The impartial Chairperson of the PIC made several recommendations that validated many of the Union’s proposals, including accumulating overtime over the course of a work week, increased and more flexible wash-up time for meat inspectors, and a reduction of the work week to 37.5 hours from 40 for the small number of GL/GS workers employed by CFIA.
Any provision not found in collective agreements in the Core Public Administration (CPA) was dismissed by the Agency as precedent-setting. But it then rejected language recommended by the PIC that does exist elsewhere in the CPA on the grounds that it is a separate agency.
“We are insulted by CFIA’s condescending attitude toward its dedicated, hard-working employees,” said PSAC team member Raphael Tarasco, Third National Vice-President for Agriculture Union. “We should not be second-class to the rest of the public service.”
“We now have no choice but to advance the schedule for strike training. We encourage all members to sign up.”
Please stay tuned for further developments as your team continues to meet the employer this week.
http://psacunion.ca/cfia-rejects-pic-recommendations
