Amendments to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act were passed yesterday in the House of Assembly.

Currently, pricing for fish species is set in Newfoundland and Labrador through either a negotiated agreement between the parties or through a binding arbitration process provided by the Standing Fish Price Setting Panel (the Panel). This process has been in effect since 2006.

The amendments will see a return to a more traditional collective bargaining model whereby the right to strike and lockout will be reinstated. To strike or lockout, the parties will have to meet the following legislative requirements.

• Engaging in collective bargaining.
• In the absence of a negotiated collective agreement, engaging in the conciliation process.
• The union conducting a strike vote and achieving a strike mandate.

While the right to strike and lockout will be reinstated, the legislation also allows the parties to mutually agree to proceed to the panel for a binding decision utilizing the Final Offer Selection Process. This option is available to the parties any time during negotiations but ceases to exist once they are able to take a strike vote or lockout.

The Provincial Government will proclaim the legislation in early 2025 subject to the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) and Association of Seafood Producers (ASP) agreeing to the new collective bargaining model. If amendments are not proclaimed to begin by April 2025, the existing price-setting structure will remain in place for this season.

Quotes
“The amendments proposed to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act allow for a return to a more traditional form of bargaining, which includes a return to strike or lockout processes. We have been listening to the FFAW and ASP and we know that recent years have been tumultuous in the fishery. We will continue to work to support a stable and successful fishing industry.”
Honourable Lisa Dempster
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister Responsible for Labour

“I’ve heard the concerns raised by the fishers and processors and am optimistic that we will be able to make appropriate changes to the price-setting process for the 2025 fishing season once informed by the parties of their desired model for bargaining. With the amendments moving through the legislative process now, we have some time to collaborate with the industry to implement these changes.”
Honourable Gerry Byrne
Minister of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture

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