CWB FIRING!

[lesm]

I heard today from a grain broker that Adrian Measner has been relieved from his job at the CWB. Any confirmation of this ?
thanks

[parsley]

Yup

Parsley

[craig]

The release I read says he has not been fired but implies if he does not support market choice he would be removed. While there are those will cry in justice it is evident that actions of the CWB continue to tick the government off. This whole issue has got personal and no one should be surprised at the blood letting.

[parsley]

I said yup because his 'job' has been defending the single desk and he has been "relieved" of that job.

Technically, he is not fired.

Yet.

Parsley

[chaffmeister]

CBC explained that the letter asked Measner to clarify his "position" regarding the government's vision of the future of the CWB. Apparently he told CWB staff that he's going to be fired mid-Dec - suggests that the letter said that if he's not going to steer the new ship, he better get off now.

And it sounds like he's not about to steer the new ship.

[parsley]

Government run institutions are just that....government run.

A lot of farmers have lobbied for government-run institutions to 'carry on'.

[AdamSmith]

The news was a complete surprise to CWB Chairman Ken Ritter . . . saying there was no prior notice.

Earth to Ken! this was the notice.

I think everyone who doesn't live in a bubble could see this coming.

[AdamSmith]

Parsley, maybe you should send Adrian a goat for Xmas.

[Jman]

I'm sure Mr. Anderson (aka Mr. Jimmy Swagart of Swift Current County) will "heal" us from this evil.

Why don’t these C.R.A.P. (Canadian Reform Alliance party of Canada MP's) use the brains they might have and let Measner complete the 2006-07 business instead of turning the marketing year into turmoil. What will the costs be to me as a wheat and durum producer Let him finish the 2006-07 business and then appoint a new CEO for the 2007-08 crop year as the transition to "Marketing choice" occurs? I guess Chucky doesnt undestand that a $3-4 billion dollar/yr enterprise is a little more complex than his brain can comprehend.

I believe in marketing choice, but you do not remove the CEO half way through its marketing campaign. I guess Chucky must think we farmers are loaded with cash (similar to SW ONT and S PQ dairy farmers), and are prepaired for uncertainty.

By the way, If you signed a A-series contract for lower grade wheat with lower protein, do not deliver it to the CWB. Instead deliver to the non-board market instead…. Who is going to stop you now at this point??. If the CWB calls you next fall reagarding pricing damages, call your Reform-Allaince MP.

[chaffmeister]

Jman - you give my friend Adrian far too much credit. Don't you think that in an organization of over 300 people, one person, regardless of his stature in the organization, wouldn't have that much singular impact on the day-to-day business of the organization?

It's not as if he's Martha Stewart or anything, with his name as the corp brand and running the organization with an arrogant "no-on-pushes-me-around" chip on his/her shoulder.....

(come to think of it, maybe there are similarities, but we know a lot more about Martha....)

[agstar77]

Anderson want's to destroy the CWB before Con/ref are tossed from office. The only way they can do this is by totally demoralizing staff and confidence in the CWB throughout the world. A new CEO would be Anderson's puppet to purge the CWB of all wrong thinking saff. Joe Mcarthy would be proud of Chuck.

[parsley]

agstar, you endorse government running farmers' wheat marketing when the gov't of the day mouths your political philosophy, yet you condemn government involvement when they disagree with your political philosophy.

That is the problem with depending upon, and looking to, ANY government to run your business. Your rhetoric bites you in your mouth.

Don't divide. Christians are right and Buddhists are wrong. Conventional is right and organics is wrong. State marketing is right, individual marketing is wrong.

For the wrangling to stop, the agstars of the world have to accept that some farmers simply do not agree with you.

Some farmers are going to move out of the Wheat Board house.

[chaffmeister]

When it comes to demoralizing staff, better think about giving Measner the credit/blame. Who knows what was going through his mind when he informed staff that he would be fired – BEFORE ACTUALLY BEING FIRED. According to all accounts, staff are now demoralized, confused, and in turmoil – a direct result of Measner’s “announcement”. His role as leader is to counter all outside influences that may demoralize his staff. Unfortunately, he is also to blame for the turmoil brought about by his battle with Ottawa.

He reminds me of my ex-brother-in-law who decided to include his children in his battle with my sister. They paid a huge price they didn’t need to.

If Adrian was truly thinking of the CWB’s staff, customers and reputation, and he knew he was leaving, he would discretely negotiate with the Minister a dignified exit strategy that would include Adrian handing off to the new CEO with ZERO acrimony, actually making it as seamless as possible and minimizing the turmoil. There is no need for the staff to feel his pain. By the way, most staff don’t give a hoot about the single desk – for them it’s just a job, no philosophic bent.

The way Adrian’s going about this just makes him look like a cry-baby.

Like spoiled brats, it seems Measner and Ritter think their tantrums will result in them getting to keep their old toy. Do they really believe that this drama of theirs will actually accomplish anything?

[AdamSmith]

Agstar, I hope you’re right that the new CEO will purge the CWB of all the wrong thinking staff.

Your absolutely right chaff, Measner and the BOD's have brought all this on themselves, it was their call to bitterly and irresponsibly oppose the government policy.

Agstar if there is an erosion of confidence in the CWB, don't you think the antics of the CWB running around and shouting at the top of their lungs "The sky is falling, the sky is falling" might be a greater contributing factor than the government’s policy?

As I've said many times before, the CWB's main argument in this whole process has been to make headlines which proclaim to the world that the CWB is so pathetic at what it does, that if asked to compete the cwb is doomed to fail.

Agstar, don't blame Harper, Strahl and Anderson for trying to implement a policy that the Conservatives ran on and helped them get elected on. Where you expecting them to just say "Oh never mind".

Measner and the BOD's are the true architects of their own undoing.

[agstar77]

I blame Harper ,Strahl and Anderson for putting the cart before the horse. They have not received an endorsement from grain growers on what they want. They are telling them what is good for them. Mr. Anderson is on a personal crusade to destroy the CWB and does not care about the majority of producers that wish to retain the CWB. Minister Strahl is making a mockery of his statement that he wants a strong CWB. Firing directors and replacing them with his minions will not strengthen the CWB. Minister of the CWB , that will not meet with it's directors. He should be the one to be fired!!