HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1994-02-02, Page 11THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2,1994. PAGE 11.
Brussels Livestock Report
Steady trade at sale on fed steers, heifers
Sales at Brussels Livestock for
the week ending Jan. 28 were: fed
cattle, 981; cows, 269; veal calves,
183; sheep and goats, 58; Stockers,
325.
The market at Brussels Livestock
saw fed steers and heifers selling
on a steady trade. Cows sold $1
lower.
There were 505 steers on offer
selling from $95 to $100 to the
high of $117.75. Four steers
consigned by K & A Beef Farms,
Wroxeter, averaging 1484 lbs. sold
for an average of $107.03 with
sales to $117.75. Eighteen steers
consigned by George Blake,
Klopp responds to protest
By Don Jackson
Those responsible for a large
billboard sign in Clinton came to
town last Wednesday to explain
why it has been placed there.
The sign, which reads, "Bob Rae
wants to unionize the family farm",
is the work of Ontarians For
Responsible Government (OFRG)
and is strategically placed directly
across the street from the office of
Huron MPP Paul Klopp.
Thom Corbett, director of OFRG,
explained the sign is a protest to
Bill 91 which is presently being
studied. The bill would give some
farm labourers the right to form
unions more easily than they
previously could.
Mr. Corbett believes the bill will
make it more difficult for farmers
to compete in the global economy.
"With the new GATT (General
Agreement of Trade and Tariffs)
rules and NAFTA (the North
American Free Trade Agreement)
and with a real move towards
international trade, anything that's
going to make it more difficult to
compete, which Bill 91 is, we think
is ridiculous," he said.
He said that while the
government is presenting the bill as
something which would only affect
large farm organizations, it will
also affect smaller operations.
"There's been a lot of
misinformation that this bill is only
going to affect big farm operations
but any farm with more than one
employee who's not a family
member can form a union," Mr.
Corbett stated.
Mr. Corbett also fought against
Bill 42 - the stable funding bill.
This bill forces all farmers to pay
into a farm organization. The
money sent in can be refunded on
request, but the farmer has to send
it. He said he attended a resource
and funding committee meeting
where the bill was being discussed,
and was angered by how opponents
were treated.
He had two worries about how
bargaining would be handled. One
was that workers could strike
during harvest season or an equally
important time to force concessions
from their employer. A second was
that if disputes are to be settled
through mediation, the government
will have the final say in the
settlement. "Under the Labour Act,
negotiations would go back and
forth. Under the Agriculture Bill,
labour would make one proposal,
management another and an
arbitrator would choose one or the
other."
Mr. Corbett said that in the bill’s
present form, 40 per cent of the
work force could bring in a union.
"Once it goes to application, you
have no choice. Once it comes
back, you join the union or you
don't work. Our argument has
always been that the right to join an
Brussels, averaging 1283 lbs. sold
for an average of $103.92 with
sales to $110.
Thirteen steers consigned by
William Bennett & Sons Farms
Ltd., Gorrie, averaging 1415 lbs.
sold for an average of $103.89 with
sales to $109.75. Thirty-three steers
consigned by Cunningham Farms
Lucan, averaging 1518 lbs. sold for
an average of $98.69 with sales to
$109.50. Three steers consigned by
David Bowles, Brussels, averaging
1426 lbs. sold for an average of
$104.94 with sales to $107.75.
Eight steers consigned by Harold
Jonker, Orangeville, averaging
1273 lbs. sold for an average of
organization should include the
right not to join it. This is a
democracy for heaven's sake."
Ross Procter of RR 5, Brussels is
a beef farmer and a local supporter
of the movement being made by the
OFRG. He said he has heard much
opposition to the bill by area
farmers. He said that at the annual
meeting of the Huron County Beef
Producers (HCBP) in Clinton
Legion recently, there was a
resolution asking Agriculture
Minister Buchanan to withdraw
Bill 91 which passed unanimously.
Ken Alton, second vice-president
of the HCBP, owns a beef farm
near Lucknow. He said he ships
roughly 3,000 head of cattle per
year. He said that Bill 91 will
create unfair obstacles for Ontario
farmers who have to compete with
non-union operations in the U.S.A.
"I can compete with anyone in the
world, but when I have to compete
with unions and the U.S. doesn't...
if we don't get the NDP out and get
free enterprise back, what's the
point? I could employ more people,
but the way the government's
operating, why bother?"
Mr. Procter said he has heard
similar sentiments in the farm
community. "One farmer told me
he'd be careful about hiring certain
people or he may decide not to hire
anyone because of all the hassle."
Huron MPP Paul Klopp said the
bill got its first reading in the fall
and is now being prepared for its
second reading. He said that
throughout the process, the
agricultural community has been
kept in constant consultation by
way of a committee on the bill, so
the bill will reflect their concerns.
"There were 11 points that the farm
community had concerns with,"
said Mr. Klopp.
He also replied to the sign put up
across from his constituency office.
"Bob Rae is not unionizing the
family farm. That's not in the
cards."
■BRUSSELS LIVESTOCK
Division of Gamble & Rogers Ltd.
UPCOMING SALES
TUESDAYS 9 a.m. Finished
Cattle & Cows
THURSDAYS 9:00 a.m. Dropped Calves
Veals followed
by Goats
Sheep & Lambs
FRIDAYS 10:00 a.m. Stocker Cattle
1:00 p.m. Pigs
BRUSSELS 887-6461
$102.09 with sales to $105.50.
Thirty-five steers consigned by
Maple Ridge Farms, Brussels,
averaging 1183 lbs. sold for an
average of $96.50 with sales to
$103. Four steers consigned by Jim
Howatt, Londesboro, averaging
1438 lbs. sold for an average of
$99.02 with sales to $102.75. Ten
steers consigned by Don Culbert,
Dungannon, averaging 1359 lbs.
sold for an average of $98.08 with
sales to $102.75. Eighteen steers
consigned by County Line Farms,
Chesley, averaging 1297 lbs. sold
for an average of $94.62 with sales
to $100.
He said that Mr. Corbett's
concerns that a farm with two non
family member employees could
form a union are not realistic. "In
cold, hard terms, no union would
accept two members." he said of
Mr. Corbett and the OFRG: "They
have an agenda. It's Toronto people
going out here and I don't know
what they're doing. They seem to
be a group attacking every level of
government - in this case going at
agriculture."
Mr. Klopp said that Mr. Corbett's
statements show a lack of research
into what's actually going on with
Bill 91. "If he's doing this poor a
job of finding all the answers, I
have very little credibility for this
group."
He doesn't believe this bill will
affect the competitiveness of
Ontario farmers. "There's trade out
there, but we want to be sure that
people are buying here. We made a
commitment that we were going to
have vehicles to invest in
agriculture. We've put it forth that
rural Ontario counts. We import a
lot of food in this province. We do
have growing areas around here,
but they (farmers) need to get
paid."
Mr. Klopp said of Bill 91, "It's a
bill for farm labourers."
He said that the government
recognizes that there are concerns
with the bill and that, by way of the
farm committee, they hope to solve
the problems in the bill before it
becomes a law. "Remember, this is
not the final draft."
He emphasized that the bill will
be drafted in a way which suits the
unique conditions of agricultural
work. "Obviously, we can't have
strikes. When everything's
addressed, I think it will be good
for everyone."
For a sales outlet, call:
UNICEF Canada
1-800-567-4483
There were 448 heifers on offer
selling from $95 to $100 to the
high of $104.50. Eleven heifers
consigned by Bernard O’Donnell,
Arthur, averaging 1031 lbs. sold for
an average of $97.97 with sales to
$104.50. Two heifers consigned by
Dennis Bros., Listowel, averaging
1245 lbs. sold for an average of
$95.41 with sales to $103.25.
Fourteen heifers consigned by Mux
Lea Farms, Woodstock, averaging
1199 lbs. sold for an average of
$94.98 with sales to $101.85.
Three heifers consigned by
Robert Weishar, Mildmay,
averaging 1060 lbs. sold for an
average of $97.61 with sales to
$100.75. Four heifers consigned by
Neil Faulkner, Moorefield,
averaging 1100 lbs. sold for an
average of $94.52 with sales to
$99.75. Twelve heifers consigned
by Randy- Pentland, Goderich,
averaging 1001 lbs. sold for an
average of $96.71 with sales to
$98.25.
There were 269 cows on offer
selling from $55 to $66 to the high
of $77. Two cows consigned by
Charles Lowe, Stayner, averaging
1165 lbs. sold for an average of
$67.75 with sales to $77. Two
cows consigned by Ivan Pickette,
Clinton, averaging 1170 lbs. sold
for an average of $74.54 with sales
to $75. Two cows consigned by
9:30 am - 5:30 pm Tuesday through Thursday
9:30 am - 4:00 pm Friday
And what a show. Over 700 exhibitors.
More than 5,000 leading manufacturers and distributors.
Over 380,000 square feet of exhibition space.
The largest and most exciting collection of farm equipment,
products and services you’ll ever find under one roof.
It’s a really big show. Don’t miss it.
You COULD WIN $1,000
JUST FOR REGISTERING AND ATTENDING THE SHOW.
See your local farm equipment dealer for details.
Toronto International Centre
6900 Airport Road, Toronto, Ontario
Sponsored by: jj|}[]|][] Supported by: O.W.F.E.A.
For more information contact: (705)741-2536
The 8 th Annual
Canadian International
Farm Equipment Show
February 8-11,1994
Len Wilhelm, Walkerton, averag
ing 1280 lbs. sold for an average of
$72.37 with sales to $75.
There were 183 veal on offer
selling from $85 to $104.50 to the
high of $120. Two veal consigned
by William Ten Hove, Monkton,
averaging 700 lbs. sold for an
average of $117.17 with sales to
$120. Six veal consigned by
Laverne Bauman, Wallenstein,
averaging 653 lbs. sold for an
average of $106.47 with sales to
$112.50. Two veal consigned by
Jim Hickey, Auburn, averaging 600
lbs. sold for an average of $104.39
with sales to $112.50.
Lambs, up to 80 lbs., sold $125
to $165; and over 80 lbs., $78 to
$93.
Stockers: steers, 400 - 499 lbs.,
sold $114 to $140; 500 - 599 lbs.,
$107.50 to $134; 600 - 699 lbs.,
$105 to $127; 700 - 799 lbs.,
$101.50 to $120; 800 lbs. and over,
$98.50 to $108.50.
Heifers, 300 - 399 lbs., sold $105
to $131; 400 - 499 lbs., $97 to
$129.50; 500 - 599 lbs., $94 to
$130; 600 - 699 lbs., $94.50 to
$113; and 700 lbs. and over, $89 to
$102.75.
F arm