It’s good to know it’s there if needed, but neither Newfoundland and Labrador’s unionized fishery workers, nor the processors they sell to or work for, want to see the industry disrupted by organized labour strife. On Dec. 4, the provincial government made amendments to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act that will make it easier for the members of FFAW-Unifor, which represents both fish harvesters and plant workers, to take strike action, or for the members of the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) to lock them out if they cannot agree on fish prices. The amendments were read for a third time in the House of Assembly, but Royal Assent has been deferred until the two sides indicate they wish to reclaim their constitutional rights to strike or lockout. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:53Tag Archives: FFAW-Unifor president Dwan Street
Hitting pause: Talks to set price for 2025 snow crab season in NL on hold
There’s still no deal, but both sides trying to hammer out a new pricing formula for Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab fishery have agreed to pause talks until March 19. That will be one day after Seafood Expo North America, the major annual seafood show in Boston, where this year’s provincial delegation will be looking to convince American buyers that tariffs placed on Canadian exports, including seafood, are not a good thing for the sector. The negotiators from both FFAW-Unifor, the union that represents fish harvesters and plant workers, and the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP), which represents fish processing companies, have met several times since the middle of January to try to hammer out a snow crab price for the 2025 season. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 06:38
RESULTS OF LATEST SNOW CRAB ASSESSMENT
Today, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) released the latest stock assessment update for Newfoundland and Labrador’s snow crab fishery, reporting differences in stock health among regions. Attending on behalf of FFAW- Unifor were Fisheries Scientist, Dr. Erin Carruthers, with harvesters Nelson Bussey and Chad Waterman (3LNO), Scott Spurvey (3Ps), Eldred Woodford (3K), as well as Alton Rumbolt who participated online (2J).Nelson Bussey highlighted the good news for 3LNO noting that, “Biomass levels are at the highest levels seen in decades, likely, in part, because we have maintained reasonable exploitation levels. There appears to be scope for growth, which is welcome news for the fleets in our areas.” more, >>CLICK To READ<< 10:01
FAW-UNIFOR CALLS FOR MP INTERVENTION TO HALT DFO’s INFLEXIBLE E-LOG IMPLEMENTATION
FFAW-Unifor is urging Members of Parliament to intervene following the Department of Fisheries and Oceans’ (DFO) rejection of their proposed electronic logbook (ELOG) implementation plan. The union’s proposal aimed to address critical concerns raised by harvesters and facilitate a smoother transition to ELOGs. FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street expressed strong disapproval of DFO’s decision, stating, “DFO’s inflexibility in mandating ELOGs without addressing accessibility issues, technology concerns, and cost implications places an undue burden on our harvesters. We call on our MPs to step in and halt this misguided implementation that threatens the livelihoods of our fishing communities”. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 14:37
FFAW Calls for Transparency and Accountability in Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre
FFAW-Unifor President Dwan Street is calling for the Fish Harvesters’ Resource Centre (FRC) to operate with transparency and accountability. The FRC, a nonprofit governed by a board of directors providing dockside monitoring services to fish harvesters in Newfoundland and Labrador, has refused to call a board meeting and provide members with important information regarding the organization’s operations. “Our elected Inshore Council has been calling for increased transparency and accountability regarding the boards our Union participates on,” says President Dwan Street. “Specifically, they’ve asked us to ensure board seats are representative of the current industry and elected leadership. Despite repeated attempts to engage the FRC over the last year, Executive Director Velma Pike and Chair Bill Broderick refuse to be transparent about their operations,” Street explains. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 07:02
Fisheries union, processors hope they won’t need to revert to strikes and lockouts
It’s good to know it’s there if needed, but neither Newfoundland and Labrador’s unionized fishery workers, nor the processors they sell to or work for, want to see the industry disrupted by organized labour strife. On Dec. 4, the provincial government made amendments to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act that will make it easier for the members of FFAW-Unifor, which represents both fish harvesters and plant workers, to take strike action, or for the members of the Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) to lock them out if they cannot agree on fish prices. The amendments were read for a third time in the House of Assembly, but Royal Assent has been deferred until the two sides indicate they wish to reclaim their constitutional rights to strike or lockout. more, >>CLICK TO READ<< 10:53
