Ratified deal with Corus Entertainment contains pay increases of up to 16.7%

CWA Canada members have voted 95 per cent in favour of ratifying a collective agreement with Corus Entertainment that contains pay increases of up to 16.7 per cent.

The agreement is the first to cover all workers in television operations since Corus absorbed Shaw Media, where the Canadian Media Guild (Local 30213) already represented employees. Bargaining to reach the one-year deal began last March, shortly after the Corus workers voted to join the CMG.

Salary increases of up to 16.7 per cent will raise up the lowest-paid members and begin to address pay inequalities identified by the bargaining team. They will be retroactive to May 1, 2017.

New and current members of the bargaining unit who are not above scale will see guaranteed annual minimum increases of three- to four-per-cent on average.

Other highlights of the agreement, which contains provisions of the 2014-2017 contract between the CMG and Shaw:

• Improved dental benefits for everyone.
• Increased sick-leave protections, which had previously been limited to 10 days.
• All members now have access to two personal days.

“We achieve a great deal together as co-workers, both on the job and collectively as union members,” said Craig Jasman, president of the Corus Branch at CMG.

“We are pleased to have negotiated a contract that will support our work and our contribution to the continued success of Corus, one of Canada’s leading media companies.”

He said that membership meetings will be held later this week “to discuss next steps.”