HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1992-09-09, Page 18•
Page 18 Tlmes-Advocate, September 9, 1992
One Foot
in the .Ferro
It sounded like all the elephants in Africa breaking wind in unison but it
was really just the supply management marketing board farmers in Cana-
da breathing a sigh of relief.
The sigh came in mid August -- remember it? -- when the Free Trade
Agreement was signed and marketing boards were left intact. Canada's
negotiators hung tough and marketing boards were left alone. The Excited
States actually backed down in its open criticism of Canada's farmer -run
marketing boards.
This lessening of opposition has also left most farmers just a little more
enthusiastic about the GATT talks where the marketing boards are really
under fire. Because the American team of negotiators backed down in the
FTA talks, our people think the opposition voiced in GATT will stop, too.
Although I would not hold my breath, the breakthrough may carry over
to GATT talks, although maybe someone should tell Art Dunkel, the sec-
retary-general of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. He is the
chap who has taken the stand that Canada's marketing boards either have
to make drastic changes or disappear if a new general agreement on tariffs
and trade is to be signed. (It is already overdue by almost two years.)
Are you still with me? We are talking about two different deals here,
y'see. There is the Free Trade Agreement, now being called the North
American Free Trade Agreement or NAFTA which involves three na-
tions; Canada, the U.S. of A, and Mexico. Then there is the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which involves 108 nations and is called
GATT. Officials have been working on t tf a GATT deal for years.
Canada has taken the position that supply management marketing
boards do not distort international trade that anything done by these
boards is national in scope and influence and has little or no effect on the
international trade picture.
The Americans have disagreed, until now, and the NAFTA deal brought
the big sigh of relief. Actually, the NAFTA deal is three agreements: Can-
ada will continue to work with the U.S. under the original FTA deal
signed in 1987. Canada has a new deal with Mexico which remains about
the same as it has always been but Mexico and the U.S. have worked out a
new deal with a lot of changes involving agriculture.
"ICs almost encouraging," said Richard Doyle, spokesman for the Dairy
Farmers of Canada, "although we don't have text yet. I'm kind of cau-
tious.
I don't blame him for being cautious. The Yanks have been known to
give with one hand and take with the other, especially when it comes to
agriculture, sort of like saying, sure, eat all the butter you want and then
handing you a hot knife.
I kind of agree with Ralph Jesperson, president of the Canadian Federa-
tion of Agriculture, who said: "All of the protections dairy and poultry
farmers have in the NAFTA deal could be wiped out in the GATT."
Maybe that is why Americans gave in so easily this time. They realize
that the NAFTA deal will last only as long as it takes to ratify the new
GATT deal.
Have we been had again by these tricky lads and lassies from the Hew
Hess of Hay? Time alone will tell.
Fauns rrpn,aTr
Middlesex Plowing Mateli
Monday afternoon at the
Vanneste farm near Brinsley
found 42 experts competing
in the Middlesex Plowing
Match, showing how a steady
hand with a single plow blade
could keep the furrows
straight and even. Here El-
son Sage of Thamesville, the
international champion, is
one of four competitors in
the horse class.
Workers could become unionized
By Fred Groves
T -A staff
EXETER - Farm workers in the
province may soon be able to join
unions.
In January, a Task Force on Agri-
cultural Labour Relations was set
up and one of the recommenda-
tions they plan to bring to Labour
Minister Bob McKenzie and Agri-
cultural Minister Elmer Buchanan
is that farm and horticultural work-
ers will have collective bargaining
rights.
"It's like a lot of legislation. It's
hard to tell if it's going to be good
or bad," said Bob Down, of the Hu-
ron Federation of Agriculture.
He said the Ontario Federation of
Agriculture and other farrn groups
are currently working with the pro-
vincial government.
There are several local compa-
nies which employ workers includ-
ing Visscher Farms, Veri Produce
and Nabisco.
"There is genuine concern in re-
gards to migrant workers but it's
too early to say what they are go-
ing to work out," said Down.
Tina Visscher of Visscher Farms
in Exeter said talking about unions
is secondary and that the provincial
government has to begin Thinking
more about the farmer themselves.
She said a lot of workers come to
her and ask why they are not being
offered the same wages as in other
businesses.
"There's always been talk that
farm labourers aren't paid equally.
Let's make sure the farmers can af-
ford it and they are getting a fair
deal."
Visscher added she is not in fa-
vour of a farm cation and that she
would prefer to work out any prob-
lems with the worker directly.
"If your employees are happy. I
don't think you need unions," she
said.
Farmers who employee workers
will not have to worry about
whether or not they go out on
strike because as part of the new
law, in place of a strike or lockout,
there will be a dispute resolution
process contained in separate stat-
ute.
"The most important part is that
the government has announced it
will be treating agriculture differ-
ently," said Down.
Farm workers in other provinces
are already allowed to join unions
but have always been excluded
from labour relations laws in Onta-
rio.
The report by the Task Force rec-
ommends instead of striking, that
importance be placed on a prefer-
ence for negotiated settlements
conciliation and mediation services
be provided and a binding arbitra-
tion process be available to resolve
outstanding issues when negotia-
tions do break down.
"The Task Force's recommenda-
tions go a long way toward meeting
the government's commitment to
extending the right of collective
bargaining to the agricultural sec-
tor," said McKenzie in a news re-
lease.
Princesses M waking for the Huron County Dalry Prinoess
competition are these four young women. The winner will be
selected at a dance In Seeforth on September 26. Current .
princess Morgan . Murray (seated centre) will crown one of
(front row, left to right) Donna (,Y j Armatron of Auburn, Barba-
ra Wynia, Seaforth, Amy Terpstra, Brussels, or Keri Bachart of
Blyth.
The Task Force was established
in January as part of the Ministry of
Labour's broader consultations pro-
cess on proposed reform of the On-
tario Labour Relations Act.
MacKenzie has asked the Test
Force to advise the government on
the implications of including the
agricultural and horticultural sec-
tors within the Labour Relations
Act.
Mere were three
competitors for She
Middlesex Plowing Match
()Yee Of the fulvw
Monday afternoon.
Shannon Weitd&blg:Of
i%olafdele':takes her Wm
with the tractor and plow.
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agriculture, environment, govern-
ment and industry leaders will at-
tend the conference, which marks
the 40th Anftiversary of the Insti-
tute, one of the oldest trade associ-
ations in Canada.
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