Now that she's been officially sworn in as the newest president of the Fish Food and Allied Workers (FFAW), Dwan Street is talking tough as she takes the helm of the union that represents about 10,000 fish harvesters and fish plant workers in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL).

"One of the first things we've got to do is start putting the boots to the federal minister (Diane Lebouthillier)," Street said in an interview with Saltwire following the FFAW's annual convention on Nov. 19.

"She's just operating in a way that's completely disrespectful. A lot of her decisions are coming at the detriment of our membership. So, we're just going to have to start taking her to task," Street is quoted by Saltwire.

Street is the first woman to hold the position of president of the FFAW. She replaces Greg Pretty, who announced his retirement earlier this year.

The FFAW will continue to put pressure on DFO to reverse its decision to reinstate the commercial fishery for Atlantic cod in NL's northern zone, and return it to an inshore-only stewardship fishery, Street said.

"I don't think emails and press releases and Facebook posts are really working, so I think we're going to have to get in her (Lebouthillier's) face in Ottawa," added Street.

The other priority for Street and the union right now is to consult with its harvester members to determine if there is a consensus to ditch the final offer selection process (FOS) for setting snow crab and fish prices and return to a system that allows strikes and lockouts to settle pricing disputes.

Recall that on Nov. 19, NL fisheries minister Gerry Byrne announced he would make sweeping changes to the Fishing Industry Collective Bargaining Act and remove the province's Standing Fish Price Setting Panel and the FOS system from the process of setting prices for snow crab and other species, as previously reported by Undercurrent News.