The union representing Canadian Grain Commission grain terminal inspectors is complaining that the commission found a way to bypass the law during recent one-day strikes.
When the Public Service Alliance of Canada held the strikes to protest the lack of a contract, CGC chief commissioner Barry Senft gave terminal operators an exemption from the Canada Grain Act requirement that grain arriving at terminals must be weighed by inspectors.
The companies had to submit data to the commission later to verify their calculations.
Yves Ducharme, president of PSAC’s agriculture union, has written to agriculture minister Lyle Vanclief and the House of Commons agriculture committee to protest.
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“Such action by the Canadian Grain Commission is viewed as a total lack of respect for its employees and staff relations in the public service,” he said in the letter to Vanclief.
“Furthermore, it would appear that the Canadian Grain Commission is treating the Canadian grain producers with disdain despite the fact that the Canada Grain Act was promulgated to protect them.”
He called it “a disguised form of lockout.”
Commission official Paul Graham rejected the charges.
He said the exemption from the weighing requirements is granted when it is requested by the industry to avoid disruption or congestion caused by strikes and when there is no danger that the quality of Canadian grain exports will be jeopardized.
“This isn’t a blanket thing,” he said.
“It is only granted when the grain commission cannot provide the service. It is also key that the quality of grain exports is assured.”
He said grain being loaded for export is always weighed and graded by commission staff. During a strike, it is done by management or non-striking employees.
And Graham said rather than showing “disdain” for farmers as Ducharme alleged, the commission was following the wishes of the grain companies that fear the disruptions and higher costs caused by strikes.
Meanwhile, another federal union that represents agricultural inspectors also tried to turn up pressure on the federal government last week.
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, which represents hundreds of inspectors and scientists at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, launched a campaign to force the government to sweeten its offer of a little more than two percent. They have been more than a year without a contract.
Talks resume in late September to determine how many of the hundreds of the agency’s inspectors are considered “essential” and ineligible to strike.
The government wants as many as 88 percent of the staff to be forced to stay on the job. The union is arguing the number should be much lower if union bargaining rights are to mean anything.
