Tag Archives: Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador
Fish-NL: Competition Bureau closes investigation into collusion involving fish processors; harvesters wouldn’t name names
The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) is disappointed to learn that the federal Competition Bureau has closed its investigation into recent allegations of collusion involving fish processing companies. “Officials with the Competition Bureau say the people they interviewed wouldn’t give up names, and they couldn’t get the information they needed to carry out an investigation,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “The cold, hard reality is that people living in small-town Newfoundland and Labrador fear repercussions for speaking out, and their livelihoods on the water will be jeopardized.” >click to read< 08:36
FISH-NL extends membership drive
“We always knew a time extension was available if we needed it,” says Ryan Cleary, President of FISH-NL. “We need the extra time based on the unique challenges associated with collecting membership cards over a 90-day timeline from thousands of inshore harvesters spread out over a massive geographical area, as was the case 22 years ago.” “In order to make sure all inshore harvesters have the opportunity to decide their future we have decided to go with an extension.” Precedent for an extension of the 90-day rule was set in 1997 when the province’s Labour Relations Board agreed to extend the timeline up to 180 days for the United Food and Commercial Workers union,,, >click to read< 08:30
FISH-NL calls on Labour Board to conduct vote – FFAW-Unifor’s membership numbers ‘misleading’
Almost 16 months after FISH-NL presented an application for certification, the preliminary report of an investigator with the Labour Relations Board was released last week, with final submissions on Wednesday. The investigator’s report is now in the hands of the Board, which will ultimately decide how to proceed. FISH-NL has estimated the number of inshore harvesters in the province at around 4,500, while the FFAW-Unifor pegs the number at as high as 10,000. The difference is in definition. >click to read<15:50
FISH-NL announces ad campaign featuring personal messages from harvesters
Do I want to be apart of a union that sets rules and regulations to favour a chosen few? Do I want to be apart of a union that turns its back on outside buyers when they’re prepared to pay fishermen $3.50 US a pound for cod? Do I want to be part of a union that used our own dues to fight our fellow scallop fisherman in court — and lost — then only to waste more of our money to appeal? The answer is no. I’m Boyd Lavers, a fish harvester from Port Saunders, and I’m behind FISH-NL.
Friday, Dec. 15, 2016 – The Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL) launched an advertising campaign this week, featuring six fish harvesters from around the province with personal messages to their current union, the FFAW. “For some unknown reason, the FFAW won’t acknowledge the fact that its membership is in full-fledged revolt,” says Ryan Cleary, president of FISH-NL. “The FFAW fiddles as its membership burns its union cards.” Leading up to Christmas Eve, dozens of 30-second radio advertisements will play on the VOCM network throughout Newfoundland and Labrador. The advertisements were recorded by harvesters over the telephone from the outports where they live. Funds for the advertising campaign were raised through a Crowd Funding campaign on the Internet. FISH-NL set a goal of $16,000, money raised through donations in five days. For more information, contact Ron Woodman 697-6026 10:37
Fish Harvester Tonia Grandy believes it’s time for change in representation.
Many of the problems in the province’s fishery can be traced back to the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW-Unifor) union, the Garnish fish harvester surmises. She hopes that change will come in the form of the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL). The Ryan Cleary-led group currently leading a charge to breakaway from FFAW-Unifor and form a new union that solely represents fish harvesters in the province has her full support, she said. FFAW-Unifor represents fish harvesters and fish plant workers. “This is a union for the fishermen, by the fishermen,” she said of FISH-NL. “This is something I believes in, and I’ve got my time and effort put into this a hundred per cent – a hundred per cent. We needs someone who is going to stand up and who is going to get the fishermen their fair share of quota.” Read the story here 14:49
The salt and pepper revolution
Letter: Fisherfolk should get behind new union by Oswan Tucker, Reef’s Harbour
Now is the time to finish what we started last year, which was to get rid of the FFAW. The Fish, Food and Allied Workers union has neglected us, taken advantage of us and turned fisherfolk against one another. It shouldn’t be like that. We can do better than that, and now we will. We have acquired Ryan Cleary to head up our new union, which will be named the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador (FISH-NL). This new union will look after the best interests of Newfoundland and Labrador fishermen and women — and only them. It will have a constitution drawn up to protect fisher folk from the kind of things we had to put up with from the FFAW. Read the rest here 09:06
Didn’t the train leave the station? FFAW will try to do a better job at communicating with members
As the FFAW (Fish, Food and Allied Workers) union faces an exodus of members, staff representative Jason Spingle said the union is taking the issue very seriously. FISH-NL, the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador — an effort of former MP Ryan Cleary and fishermen Jason Sullivan and Richard Gillett — held meetings in Corner Brook and Clarenville this week to gauge and drum up support for the new union. Spingle, who works out of the FFAW’s Corner Brook office representing members from the west coast, Northern Peninsula and Labrador, said he’s seen the coverage of the meetings and recognized a lot of the faces of those who are supporting FISH-NL. With around 2,000 members in the region though, Spingle said there were a lot of people who were not at the meetings. Read the story here 17:22
Upstart FISH-NL Turns Up the Heat on Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union!
Things got a little heated outside the Fish, Food and Allied Workers office in Corner Brook when some 250 harvesters from around the west coast marched there to show the union they are fed up with the representation they’ve been getting. The group had been attending a meeting on the formation of a new union at the Legion when Conway Caines of Cow Head, a regular on the Discovery Channel’s “Cold Water Cowboys,” suggested they hold a peaceful walk to the union’s office. Ryan Cleary, former MP and one of the men behind the formation of FISH-NL (the Federation of Independent Sea Harvesters of Newfoundland and Labrador), went with them. Cleary said FFAW president Keith Sullivan made a remark to the CBC that the group interested in forming the new union was a vocal minority. Read the story here 17:37
