FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: FFAW—UNIFOR URGES PROVINCIAL AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO FOCUS UPCOMING CONSULTATIONS ON MATTERS WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTIONS

September 9, 2021 – The Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) is urging provincial government to fulfill their commitment made in 2020 for a review of corporate concentration and controlling agreements in Newfoundland and Labrador and incorporate it into the public consultations beginning in October.

FFAW outlined how corporate concentration has undermined processing capacity, market development, and rural economic development in a Campaign Video Series launched on March 1st, 2021. The province determines how many processing licenses exist, who receives them, and regulates the amount of information those processing companies must disclose to the province. FFAW has long advocated for a review of corporate concentration to be undertaken on federal and provincial levels. One of FFAW’s recommendations to parties in the upcoming federal election is for increased federal regulations against the corporate concentration and ownership by foreign companies, including closing current jurisdictional loopholes.

“Less processing licenses for different companies, less competition, more controlling agreements – all of these are the consequences of corporate concentration and work against long-term sustainability in the fishing sector”, said Keith Sullivan, FFAW-Unifor President. “The upcoming review discussed since Fall 2020 on foreign ownership is window dressing for the larger issue of corporate concentration, which is the real problem for our harvesters that the province has the jurisdiction to change. Therefore, we would urge the province to conduct a thorough review of that issue and develop policies that it could actually enforce”.

While Owner-Operator and Fleet Separation policies were created by the federal government, the policies’ biggest impacts are felt by the province. Both policies are established to ensure that those who live closest to the resource are the primary beneficiaries of the resource. Consideration needs to be given to the investment by government in enforcing these new regulations that make controlling agreements illegal, not just a policy.

-30-

For media inquiries:
Courtney Langille, FFAW-Unifor Communications Officer
clangille@ffaw.ca | (709) 693-8454