FISH-NL – Labour Board status

FISH-NL received an update Tuesday afternoon from the Labour Relations Board regarding the status of our certification application.

On March 10, the Board ordered the Salt-Water Mafia and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) to release their individual lists of commercial fish harvesters to Board investigator, Jody Saunders..

According to Saunders, the FFAW is expected to delivered its list to the Board by this Friday, March 31st.

As for ASP, Saunders reported that Derek Butler, the executive director,  says he has no authority to order member processing companies to provide the list requested. As well, Saunders said Butler indicated that members of ASP wouldn’t have a complete list of commercial harvesters anyway.

Saunders said it will be up to the Board to decide how to deal with ASP’s response.

FISH-NL was also asked by the board to provide a definition of a commercial inshore fish harvester, as well as our reasoning for saying the 2,372 membership cards presented with our certification application represent more than 50 per cent of the total inshore harvesters in the province.

FISH-NL expects to provide the information by week’s end.

As has been said before, the certification process is a drawn out, complicated, expensive affair.

If it was up to FISH-NL, we’d proceed immediately to a vote so inshore harvesters could decide which union they want to represent them.

As always, thank you to everyone who has been spreading the word regarding FISH-NL’s representation fee. We can’t do this without your support. Click here on our website: http://www.fish-nl.ca/fishorcutbait to give. 

Please keep spreading the word and if anyone needs help paying their representation fee please ask them to call 701-0747.
FISH-NL Broadcaster
http://www.fish-nl.ca/