Broadcasting

Posted on 2017-01-31 in Broadcasting, Special Sections // 0 Comments

Radio, television and internet broadcasting is a critical element of Canadian culture and a key player in the country’s news industry.

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CFRA staff have first collective agreement! - Staff at News Talk 580 CFRA Radio in Ottawa have ratified their first collective agreement. The 21 members of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild (CWA Canada Local 30205) voted overwhelmingly last week to approve the deal after nearly a year of bargaining. The contract brings substantial gains including: – The introduction of a wage scale for all employees (workers can now see a future at the station.) – Annual wage increases of 1.50%, 1.75%, 1.75% (previously, they received just 1% a year.) – Compensation for moving up a classification, compensation for working early mornings, compensation for quick turnaround. – Workload reviews. – Commitments on more consistent scheduling, meal breaks, and backfill opportunities for part-timers. Lois Kirkup, ONG president and CWA Canada vice-president, is thrilled with the deal. “Under the strong the leadership of CWA Canada staff rep Patrick Legay and CFRA Unit Leader Callum Fraser, the bargaining team made tangible improvements to the working environment,” Kirkup said. “The unionized employees at the station remained a tight and cohesive group, never wavering in their commitment for a better workplace. The ONG Executive is looking forward to working with and supporting them in the years to come.” Fraser called the process “arduous and [...]

Tentative Deal at the CBC! - The bargaining team at the CBC Branch of our biggest local, the Canadian Media Guild (CWA Canada Local 30213), has announced a tentative agreement with the public broadcaster. Here is their message: Seven full weeks of bargaining have garnered a tentative deal between the Canadian Media Guild and CBC – Radio Canada. The CMG Bargaining Team was still going back and forth with CBC management early this morning to come out with a fair deal for members. We have made some positive changes that we want to share with you. With an increased cost of living, financial uncertainty at the CBC, and looming job cuts, we’ve been challenged to negotiate under these pressures. As is the case with most collective bargaining outcomes, incremental improvements are the norm. We are working to get this tentative agreement ready for you to consider. Members in good standing will have the opportunity to vote to accept the deal, or demand better. Please ensure you have your CMG membership number in order to vote. We want to thank everyone from coast to coast to coast for showing their “green” support for us. It was very important to have you with us in spirit as discussions of compensation [...]

Bell/CTV cuts ‘devastating’ for local journalism - It is another devastating day to be in local broadcasting and journalism. By cutting nearly 4800 jobs across the country, BCE Inc., the parent company of Bell Media, has once again brought the hatchet down on local news, while at the same time announcing an increase in shareholder dividends for the last year. While the impact is minimal for Ottawa Newspaper Guild members, these cuts send a strong message: money and the bottom line are what are valued the most – not the workers and the community they serve. Bell Media is paying a severe disservice to the people of Ottawa and other small towns and cities across eastern Ontario and the country who depend on CTV News for reliable and trustworthy news and information. By Bell’s own admission, the company’s news departments are the “most-watched network of local TV stations … yet it continues to incur over $40 million in annual operating losses.” Perhaps it is time for Bell executives to look in the mirror, including top 50 executive in Canada CEO Mirko Bibic, instead of making workers pay the price. CWA Canada and ONG will continue to fight to protect local news and media workers in our community. Staff at [...]

TVO Strike is Over! - Our members at the TVO branch of the Canadian Media Guild (CWA Canada Local 30213) have voted to accept a new collective agreement. The deal includes a wage increase of 7.7 per cent over three years (three per cent retroactive to 2022, 2.75 per cent in 2023, and 1.75 per cent in 2024), and improves access to permanent job opportunities for temporary staff. “Although we acknowledge this is not what we were hoping for, all the members of the bargaining team feel this is the best we can get at this time, given that we are a 74-member branch up against an employer that was aiming for major concessions,” Meredith Martin, president of the TVO branch, said. The strike lasted 11 weeks. Members walked off the job Aug. 21 to fight for better wages and to improve job security for temporary staff. They had received below-inflation wage increases for the past 10 years, including three years of complete wage freezes. Congratulations to our members for their courage and resolve.

Support our striking members at TVO! - CMG / CWA Canada members at TVO went on strike Aug. 21 to fight for job security and fair wages. One month later, we’re still standing firm.Since we walked off the job, our bargaining committee has met with the employer several times to negotiate a fair deal. Members thought we were close last week. Unfortunately, TVO had other ideas. Instead of negotiating further, the employer issued our union a last-offer vote using a process to bypass bargaining whereby the Ministry of Labour will direct members to vote on what TVO presented in the coming weeks. Although called a “last offer,” this does not mean there can be no more bargaining ever. However, it does mean we cannot negotiate while waiting at least a week for the Ministry to direct the vote. In doing so, management cited a desire to protect workers and the organization’s business interests. If TVO is so concerned with its workers’ wellbeing, why would they initiate a process that would keep us on strike longer without bargaining? And why does their latest offer ask workers to take another real-wage cut and make concessions on job security?What’s more, our members are concerned by TVO’s lack of transparency and accountability after learning that [...]