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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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