Canadian Food Inspection Agency hit by job cuts

UPDATED — The union representing most of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency staff warned of potential food safety concerns after workers learned of coming job cuts.

The Agriculture Union represents 4,500 of the approximately 6,400 CFIA workers.

A union press release issued Jan. 28 said 1,370 jobs will be cut due to the federal government’s austerity measures. There were no details yet on where and when the cuts would occur and which operations would be affected. However, Agriculture Union president Milton Dyck said cutting food safety leads to obvious outcomes.

“More people will get sick from preventable food-borne illnesses, more poultry and livestock will die from avian flu and other diseases, and our food production industry will suffer,” he said.

The union said staffing at CFIA has declined three per cent in the last 10 years, compared to the overall 30 per-cent rise in the federal public service.

It noted U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration has also gutted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, putting the quality of imported food in doubt as well.

It also cited a media report saying the CFIA can’t handle multiple emergencies.

Dyck said food recalls rose by 150 per cent in the last decade. The government is putting short-term savings ahead of health, he added.

The CFIA has not yet responded to a request for more information.

Job cuts affect meat, poultry inspection

In a letter to staff obtained by Western Producer, CFIA president Paul MacKinnon said decisions were guided by four principles: protecting front-line inspection capacity and emergency readiness; not reducing positions without reducing work; staying focused on the core mandate of food safety, animal and plant health, science and emergency response; and simplifying the structure for clearer accountability and faster decisions.

A screenshot, provided by the union, of where savings will occur indicates the highest number of jobs affected, at 299, are categorized as “realignment for clear accountability.”

However, 117 jobs related to meat inspection operational efficiencies are impacted and 98 are cut for poultry slaughter inspection modernization.

Forty job cuts represent reduced daily shift inspections in non-export meat plants.

Effective April 1, the agency will also have a new organizational structure.

“The agency will move to a business-line model focused on Food Safety and Science, Animal Health, and Plant Health, supported by a Policy, Trade and Business Enablement Branch,” MacKinnon wrote. “This structure will better align accountability with the risks we manage, and the outcomes Canadians expect from us.”

He also said established employment transition processes will be used, including voluntary departure and selection for retention.

“My commitment is to minimize impacts, proceed with fairness and respect, and offer concrete support to impacted employees,” he said.