OTTAWA - "We’re very pleased to hear that pay equity will apply to our members at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)," says Nycole Turmel, Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) national president.

The CFIA announced today that Treasury Board has agreed to the Agency’s request to extend the PSAC’s pay equity agreement with the federal government to CFIA employees, effective April 1, 1997.

"Treasury Board made a commitment to CFIA employees that the transition to a separate employer would not have a negative impact on pay equity," according to Turmel. "It’s about time they lived up this commitment."

"PSAC members working for the CFIA have been writing letters to their Members of Parliament and putting pressure on the employer at union/management meetings locally, regionally and nationally," said Yves Ducharme, PSAC’s Agriculture Union national president. "Their efforts were instrumental in ensuring the Agency made a strong presentation to Treasury Board."

According to Turmel, "Treasury Board indicated in June that an announcement regarding pay equity and separate employers could be expected by the end of the month, raising expectations among our members. The extension of the pay equity agreement to the CFIA will raise these expectations even higher."

"If Treasury Board can do the right thing for CFIA employees, it should be doing so for all affected employees of separate employers," declared Turmel . "If they won’t act, the PSAC will."

Over 500 of the CFIA’s almost 2,900 employees will be affected. They are Clerical and Regulatory (CR), Secretarial, Stenographic and Typing (ST), Library Service (LS) and Data Processing (DA-CON) workers. Pay equity payments prior to April 1, 1997 and the creation of the Agency are already being paid by Treasury Board.

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For information:

Marlene O’Neil, Agriculture Union 4^th Executive Vice-President, (613) 560-4306; (613) 831-1745

Lois Ross, Coordinator, Communications, PSAC (613) 560-4280

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