Union declares impasse with Canadian Food Inspection Agency

Article content

After eight months of negotiations with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Public Service Alliance of Canada bargaining team has declared impasse.

Article content

Jamey Mills, PSAC regional executive vice-president and political officer assigned to CFIA bargaining, said the team had been negotiating with CFIA since August, but declared impasse after a session last week where the employer tabled a pay proposal that failed to keep up with inflation.

“Their standard wage proposal was the same as what’s been offered to the other Treasury Board groups, so an average of 2.06 per cent over over four years,” Mills said, noting that PSAC’s team was proposing increases of eight, six and six per cent over the next three years.

Mills added that the employer had no mandate to address table-specific issues such as telework, improved job security, equity in the workplace and wash-up and preparatory time, which Mills said staff were currently expected to do on their own time.

Article content

He added that the agency called for concessions that would changes hours of work, though PSAC had made it clear that it wouldn’t accept concessions.

“The employer has addressed absolutely zero table-specific issues such as that, and, quite frankly, we feel that they do not currently have a mandate in order to take care of that,” Mills said.

This newspaper reached out to CFIA for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

Moving forward, Mills said PSAC’s team was “ready, willing and able” to get back to the table at any point the employer came back with a new mandate.

“We need to see some movement happen at the main Treasury Board tables, but, as well, (CFIA) would need to seek from Treasury Board a specific mandate on how they can move forward on specific issues,” Mills said. “We’re aware that the main Treasury Board units and the common issues are going back in the first and second weeks of April, so we’re hoping that Treasury Board has given their teams a different mandate.”

Article content

On top of dropping concessions, Mills said he hopes to see an increase in the economic package, reflecting work members have done throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The majority of them are boots on the ground food inspectors working in places like slaughterhouses, abattoirs and inspecting multiple other types of food, so, during the pandemic, that was one of the jobs that people just couldn’t stop doing,” Mills said. “We feel that the wage increases that we’ve asked for not only consider the ever-increasing cost of living, but also show some respect for the hard work that these folks did day in and day out.”

Now that the team has applied for impasse, Mills said the parties would have to go through the Public Interest Commission process, which provides non-binding recommendations for  a settlement.

“It wouldn’t surprise me, unless this employer somehow can come back to the table with a clear and direct and respectful mandate, that this group as well would be looking to conduct strike votes,” Mills said, noting PSAC strike votes already taking place for Treasury Board and Canada Revenue Agency members.