09 May 2005

News media ethics, CWA strike pay
dominate Sector meeting agenda

VICTORIA — Ethics and strike pay were on the agenda this year at the Sector Conference of The Newspaper Guild/Communications Workers of America, held May 5-8.

The Sector Executive Council presented a draft set of principles for media employees and their employers, designed to help ensure people receive fair and balanced news when they buy a newspaper, listen to their radio or watch television.

It remains a work in progress and delegates were invited to take part in its continuing development. Many will be involved on an expanded drafting committee, which is expected to present its work for further comment at fall district meetings.

Meanwhile, the Canadian Media Guild, the largest media Local in North America, sought changes to a new policy that limits strike pay from the CWA Member Relief Fund to an employee's gross pay. The idea behind the change, made earlier this year, was to ensure strike pay never becomes a factor in prolonging a labour dispute.

Delegates asked the Sector Executive Council and TNG President Linda Foley to work with CWA to look at ways of refining the new rule so that it does not place an unnecessary burden on Locals and their members when there is no chance of that occurring.

Delegates also passed a number of other resolutions, including:

  • A call for shield laws in Canada and the United States to clearly protect the use of confidential sources, citing, among other cases, that of Ottawa Citizen reporter Juliet O’Neill as an example of why they are needed.

  • Measures to refocus Locals on the need to organize.

  • Creation of a Next Generation Committee to help drive the interests of younger members.

  • Creation of a Web-based forum to discuss what is happening to the traditional media such as newspapers as a result of developing technologies.

  • Examination of ways to help employee groups move into ownership positions, if practical, when their news media employers are put up for sale.

In elections, Linda Foley was acclaimed as president and Bernie Lunzer as treasurer once more.

Veteran Eastern Canadian Vice-President Percy Hatfield decided not to run for re-election again and he was replaced by Jan Ravensbergen, president of the Montreal Newspaper Guild. Scott Edmonds of the Canadian Media Guild was returned as Western Canadian vice-president.

There was only one other departure from the Sector Executive Council. Respected Region 1 Vice-President Lesley Phillips surprised council members with the news she had accepted a buyout from her newspaper in Boston, where she worked as an editorial artist. She was replaced by Donna Marks.