Mount Allison faculty still on strike / Job openings drop in November: StatsCan / Salmon fishery changes slammed
Mount Allison faculty still on strike, university claims otherwise
SACKVILLE, N.B. — Mount Allison University’s faculty association (MAFA) said the school’s administration was wrong to tell students the strike was over.
The Sackville, N.B., university issued a news release late on Feb. 13 telling students they would return to class the following Monday, declaring an end to the faculty association’s three-week strike.
"The regular class schedule will apply," the release read. "We look forward to welcoming our students, faculty and librarians back to campus on Monday."
The news release claimed MAFA had accepted its proposal for binding arbitration, something the association — representing 154 full-time and 56 part-time faculty and librarians — denied.
"This is completely untrue. We have not yet concluded any agreement with the administration on our proposal for binding arbitration, the terms of which are very different from the proposal which the administration made last week.
"The administration cannot declare an end to the strike until these and other related matters have been resolved," the association said in a statement on its website.
"In the meantime, MAFA remains on strike."
Number of job openings drop in November, vacancy rate falls: StatsCan
OTTAWA — In November, there were 22,000 jobs lost in Canada, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
Released on Feb. 18, the job vacancy report indicated there were 5.6 unemployed people for every job opening. That compares to 5.2 people per opening the year before.
Compared to November of 2012, there were 22,000 less job openings at the same time in 2013.
Between November 2012 and November 2013, the national job vacancy rate dropped from 1.6 per cent down to where it currently sits today, at 1.5 per cent.
Proposed salmon fishery changes will eliminate jobs: Union
VANCOUVER — The United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union (UFAWU-Unifor) recently rallied in Vancouver to protest proposed changes to British Columbia’s salmon fishery.
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is considering a shift from its current open fishery model — one where a fisherman’s catch is determined by skill — to one based on individual transferable quotas (ITQs).
A change to ITQs will mean a fisherman’s catch is determined by wealth, the union says, leading to higher demands and rising quota prices until only large corporate fleets will be able to afford licenses.
The union said the current model allows fishery managers to closely monitor operations throughout the year to prevent over-fishing.
A switch to ITQ, it argues, will reduce proper oversight and wipe out independent fishermen.
"Selling off salmon to the highest bidder will be a disaster for independent fishermen and small coastal communities," said Kim Olsen, president of UFAWU-Unifor, in a statement.
"We’re proud to be independent fishermen, and we’re not going to let the government decimate our fleets, "she added.
The DFO is currently meeting with commercial salmon fishers’ representatives to discuss the proposed move to an ITQ model.
