Western Grain Growers Call for Contingency Plan During Strike Action

By Harry Siemens

Picket lines went up nationwide as more than 155,000 Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) members began to strike on April 19.

The union members on strike comprise approximately a third of the federal public service, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada employees and the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC). AAFC research centres and the CGC head office in Winnipeg, Manitoba are among the more than 250 sites where the union says it is picketing.

Agriculture and AgriFood Canada said the strike would disrupt the delivery of federal programs and services, including AgriInvest, AgriStability, the Poultry and Egg On-Farm Investment Program, Youth Employment and Skills Program, and programs under the new Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Sixty-five per cent of Canadian Grain Commission employees, including staff that looks after outward inspection on grain shipments, are on strike.

The Wheat Growers Association (WGA) said in a news release that the federal strike would devastate the grain industry and demanded a contingency plan and offer.

The WGA called upon the Government of Canada to ensure the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) employees within the PSAC union return to work immediately. As noted in a letter to Minister Bibeau, the Wheat Growers requested the Government of Canada prepare a contingency plan for the strike.

A strike causing a slowing or stoppage of grain movement from Canadian ports will have a massive impact on the entire grain industry, especially farmers said WGA president Gunter Jochum.

“Farmers need to con- tinue to deliver last year’s crop before spring seeding to run their businesses and purchase inputs for the 2023 crop,” he said. “A stoppage would be devastating to the industry and ultimately to consumers.”

The release said any disruption in the supply chain would also cause a backlog of vessels currently en route to Canadian ports, adding additional penalties dragged out long after a strike settlement.

The Wheat Growers told Minister Bibeau long before the strike that the government needs to grant immediate exemptions for thirdparty service providers to ensure inspections continue and the loading of vessels and released to the customer. Based on customer demands, approximately 70 per cent of Canadian grain is inspected by CGC and third parties, calling into question the double inspection costs alone of over $60 million annually to farmers.

“With efficiencies para- mount in any business, is it time for CGC services to move to a regulatory oversight model like the United States?” questioned Jochum.

While the Wheat Growers recognize that would require a legislative change, until then the association expects the government to ensure that CGC staff not in the PSAC union be available to pick up, bag and tag samples provided by a third party for CGC grading, thereby ensuring to minimize vessel loading and movement impacts because of the strike.

Franco Terrazzano, the federal communication director for the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, said “Canadians don’t feel sorry for privileged federal bureaucrats,” on Twitter. According to Terrazzano, more than 90 per cent of them got pay raises during the pandemic.

“They never worried about losing their jobs,” said Terrazzano. “Now they want billions more.

Wheat Growers Association president Gunter Jochum said that while government public servants are on strike the farmers are worried this will cause a backlog of grain shipments which will prohibit farmers from delivering the last of their grain in storage. They are calling on the federal government to have a contingency plan during the strike to keep grain moving.

Enough is enough.”

In a text message, Jochum noted if any disruptions had occurred, “We’re worried this will cause a backlog of grain shipments which will prohibit farmers from delivering the last of their grain in storage. It will also affect BRM or business risk deliveries and possibly research from AAFC.”