SASKATOON — The National Farmers Union is looking for a new executive assistant.
Kevin Arsenault, who has held the job since July 1992, left the organization March 3.
Arsenault said in an interview that while no single factor led to his departure, the combination of an extremely heavy workload and low salary made his position untenable.
He said that for much of the past year he has been doing two jobs, acting as both research director and administrative officer for the financially-strapped union, working 70 to 80 hours a week and getting paid less than $35,000 annually.
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In January he told the organization that he would be leaving sometime this year, but was asked to resign immediately following a board meeting in early March.
He will return to his native Prince Edward Island with his wife and four children this month. After completing a doctoral thesis at McGill University, he plans to set up a consulting business, and hopes to do some work for the farmers union.
“There are no hard feelings,” said Arsenault. “There is a little bit of sadness.”
NFU president Art Macklin said while Arsenault has been “a very valuable employee” the organization simply couldn’t afford to pay him any more money.
Financial statements for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, 1993, show the organization had net income of $30,534, which reduced the group’s accumulated debt to $326,629.
While the search for a new executive assistant goes on, the union’s elected officials will direct the organization’s day-to-day activities, said Macklin.
“We’re a little bit short-staffed at the moment,” he said. “We’re trying to ride herd on all the things here and it’s going to be quite a challenge.”
