PEI Newspaper Workers Win Unionization with CWA Canada

CHARLOTTETOWN (July 30, 2025) – After fighting and waiting nearly two years to belong to a union, newspaper workers in Prince Edward Island are celebrating today.

Workers at The Guardian (Charlottetown) and Journal Pioneer (Summerside) newspapers are now members of media union CWA Canada.

In today’s ruling, the Prince Edward Island Labour Relations Board recognized the Halifax Typographical Union (CWA Canada Local 30130) as the bargaining agent for Postmedia employees on P.E.I., excluding a small group of workers in shipping and distribution. The Island News Guild unit of the HTU includes about 40 members.

Postmedia recently acquired the two papers (and their online news products) from Nova Scotia-based Saltwire which, suffered a major financial collapse that is still facing multiple lawsuits in court.

Saltwire’s insolvency problems led to uncertainty and two years of anxiety for workers as they waited to hear from the board regarding approval of their plans to join the union.

“We are proud to have been chosen by these workers,” CWA Canada President Carmel Smyth said. “We are even more proud of the workers themselves – working together to help each other, even with the added challenge of a bankrupt owner. They did it with solidarity and poise.”