UFAWU-Unifor take Cannery message to Ottawa through video

When it comes to the flow of information for the Federal government on issues related to the North Coast Fishery, the focus has now shifted from one of letter writing campaigns, to the delivery of a video review of the situation.

The new approach comes as local shoreworkers create an information video for the Federal Fisheries Minister to consider, as they continue their efforts to save local jobs in response to the recently announced canning line closure at the Canadian Fish Plant in Prince Rupert.

UFAWU-Unifor the union which represents fish plant workers on the North Coast brings home their message from the North Coast through a seven minute video review, a presentation that traces the history of the fish processing industry in Prince Rupert and offers a glimpse of the fishing industry on the North Coast for the federal cabinet.




The video which is hosted and narrated by UFAWU reps Arnold Nagy and Conrad Lewis provides a number of slides of fish plant life, along with background on the issues facing the industry.

The importance of the fishing industry to the First Nations of the region makes for the main thrust of the presentation, which traces the path of how the fishing industry has changed through the years and the concerns that many First nations residents have for their livelihoods.

Mr. Nagy and Mr. Lewis provide a review of how the recent closure announcement from Canadian Fish Company has impacted the workers at the Prince Rupert plant, noting that the government has failed the workers of the North Coast by allowing the processing of Northern fish to take place in other areas, leaving local workers to have no benefit from the resources in their own region.

They point towards a policy in place on the east coast as one that they would like to see implemented on the North Coast, an approach to the issues which would provide for owner operator and fleet separation policies. A plan that is designed to make sure that the benefits of the fishing licences flow to the fishers and the local communities. The Prince Rupert union is also highlighting the need for an adjacency policy so that companies cannot take the north coast resources somewhere else for processing.

The seven minute video wraps up with interviews with a number of local fish plant workers who offer up their fears for the industry and their jobs and appeal to the Federal government to take action on the issues that are threatening their futures.

Local shoreworkers at the Canadian Fish
Plant on George Hills Way are featured
in a new video on job losses at the plant

The video was addressed and delivered to then Fisheries Minister Hunter Tootoo earlier this Spring, the Minister stepped down from his position with the Trudeau Cabinet earlier this week to address personal issues, his portfolio has been taken over by Dominic Leblanc.

The video is latest approach from the local union in its bid to keep processing jobs in place at the Canadian Fish Cannery on George Hills Way. You can learn more about the UFAWU-Unifor efforts from their Facebook page.

The video got a significant boost towards viewership last evening when it was featured as part of this Globe and Mail story on the latest developments related to the North Coast industry as the area prepare for the 2016 Salmon Season.

You can review more of the back story to the recent closure plans from Canadian Fish as well as other items of interest on the fishery from our archive page here.