CWA Canada welcomes inquiry into Chronicle Herald strike

HALIFAX – CWA Canada, which represents striking newsroom workers at the Halifax Chronicle Herald, welcomes the news that the Nova Scotia government has called an industrial commission into the labour dispute.

CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon said the union will “do all we can to work with the commissioner to get a deal as soon as possible.”

The union has agreed to numerous major concessions in bargaining, including a five-per-cent wage cut, an end to the defined benefit pension plan, longer work hours and more.

“Unfortunately, that has not been enough for the Herald, which has refused to back off from its many unreasonable concession demands,” O’Hanlon said.

“We hope the Herald will now step up to the plate, do the right thing and give its long-time employees a fair deal.”

Ingrid Bulmer, president of the Halifax Typographical Union (CWA Canada Local 30130), called the announcement “a bit of a bright light in this long dispute.”

“I personally am relieved that this is going to happen and I’m anxious to get started,” she said.

Commissioner William Kaplan will kick off the process Aug. 4 by meeting with both sides in an attempt to mediate a deal. If an agreement is not reached he will start a formal investigation, hold a public inquiry, and report his findings and recommendations to the labour minister.

Fifty-three reporters, editors, photographers and other newsroom staff have been on strike since Jan. 23, 2016.

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CWA Canada is the country’s only all-media union, representing about 6,000 workers at media companies across the country, including the CBC, The Canadian Press, Thomson Reuters, VICE Canada, and newspapers coast to coast.

For further information, please contact:
Martin O’Hanlon, CWA Canada president
613-867-5090 mohanlon@cwa-scacanada.ca