MEDIA RELEASE: FFAW-Unifor Welcomes New Premier and Fisheries Minister
August 19, 2020
FFAW-Unifor Welcomes New Premier and Fisheries Minister
August 19, 2020
Members of the Fish, Food and Allied Workers Union (FFAW-Unifor) welcome Newfoundland and Labrador’s new Premier, Andrew Furey, and incoming Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture, Elvis Loveless, with a call for stronger support to address the challenges facing the province’s inshore fishery.
“Like many other industries, the fishery in Newfoundland and Labrador has been hit hard by the global pandemic. What is needed most right now is a champion for our province’s inshore fisheries that will stand up for harvesters and work to strengthen the wild fishery which is the backbone of rural Newfoundland and Labrador,” says Keith Sullivan, FFAW-Unifor President.
During the last election, the Liberal Government made several commitments to FFAW-Unifor members, including improving transparency in price negotiations, investing in young harvesters, ensuring sustainable and secure work in the aquaculture industry, investing in technology to advance the groundfish fishery, and establishing a fish processing safety sector council. There remains much work to do to accomplish these goals.
FFAW-Unifor had the opportunity to meet with Premier Furey during the Liberal Party leadership campaign to discuss the main areas of concern for the fishery and what the Union believes the provincial government can focus on to improve the livelihoods of those involved in the fishery through fishing and processing. A key focus for the Union in these discussions was the need for transparency and fairness in fish price setting as well as the importance of support young fish harvesters and independent owner operators.
“We look forward to speaking with Premier Furey and Minister Loveless in the coming days to reiterate the priorities identified by FFAW-Unifor members. Our provincial government must show leadership and commitment to our province’s inshore fishery as we navigate our way through these challenging times,” concludes Sullivan.
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For media inquiries, please contact Courtney Glode at 709-743-4445 or at cglode@ffaw.ca.