Public Eye - July 2

Libs tried to chop migrant farm workers

The BC Agriculture Council applied to strip migrant farm workers of the labour rights enjoyed by Canadian workers while Steve Thomson, British Columbia’s new agriculture and lands minister, was its executive director.

In a submission made to the Labour Relations Board on September 29, 2008, the council and the Western Agriculture Labour Initiative—another employer-side group—said the province’s Labour Relations Code can’t constitutionally apply to foreign nationals working in British Columbia under the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program. The reason? Under that federal government program, Canada has negotiated employments terms and conditions for those workers with their home countries. And those terms and conditions take precedence over any provincial law.

Through his communications staff, Thomson declined an opportunity to say whether he personally thinks the code shouldn’t apply to migrant farmer workers, preventing them from unionizing.

While he was still working for the council, however, the future minister told The Vancouver Sun’s Brian Morton its submission wouldn’t lower employment conditions for those workers. “In our view, issues need to be addressed through country-to-country agreements, agreements based on proper working conditions, wage rates, housing standards and inspections,” he was quoted as saying. “There’s a question as to whether this program fits under the labour program and whether foreign nationals can or cannot be unionized.”

But, late Monday, the Labour Relations Board disagreed—rejecting the council’s argument the code can’t apply to migrant farm workers.

On the case?

Last week, records obtained by former New Democrat legislator David Schreck revealed the provincial government suppressed the release of damaging welfare caseload numbers until after the election.

The reason? The minister responsible, Ben Stewart, told The Globe and Mail’s Justine Hunter the civil service was just trying to “remain neutral and non-partisan about all information except for information about public safety.”

But a review of government records by Public Eye has revealed the bureaucracy didn’t seem to have any compunction about releasing such statistics during past election periods. In 2005, the government published an employment and assistance report on May 11—just six days before British Columbians went to the polls.

And, in 2001, such a report was published on April 24—six days after the writ was dropped. Fancy that!

A bureaucratic decision

The former head of the provincial government’s public service agency has a new job. But it’s in politics—not policy.

British Columbia’s federal Liberals have hired Diane Rabbani, who was also the province’s merit commissioner, as their executive director.

Rabbani, a former human resources executive with Sobeys Inc., Intrawest Corp. and Marriott Corp., made headlines when the Campbell administration snatched her from the private sector in 2003.

But following the 2005 election, her title changed from deputy minister to associate deputy minister. And, shortly after that title change, she left government—leaving columnists wondering why. M

Sean Holman is the editor of Public Eye (publiceyeonline.com) and host of Public Eye Radio, which can be heard 8-10 a.m. Sunday mornings on CFAX 1070.