06 March 2006

Dozens of CBC workers
gaining permanent status

Temps benefit from Guild's firm stance during lockout

Canadian Media Guild | TNG Canada Local 30213

At least 50 temporary CBC employees now have permanent positions as a result of the Canadian Media Guild standing firm during last year's eight-week lockout.

Permanent jobs for people who perform ongoing work was a hard-won principle in the Guild's new collective agreement with the public broadcaster, which had sought to increase its number of contracted, temporary employees.

Under the new agreement, temporary employees who have been in the same job in the same place for 18 continuous months must be converted to permanent status.

The CBC has now converted 18 people in Toronto, Vancouver, Ottawa, Edmonton and Winnipeg from temporary to permanent status. The Guild expects more conversions as the CBC continues to review the cases of other long-term employees.

Meanwhile, Guild leaders across the country are working to convert another 29 temporary employees to permanent status. They have examined situations where long-term temporaries are not backfilling absent employees, an effort that has so far resulted in the conversion of 23 temporary employees in Toronto, three in Vancouver, one in Regina and one in Halifax. As well, an employee in Calgary was converted from temporary to contract status.

The reviews have also resulted in the posting of permanent jobs and, in Ottawa, three temporary employees won permanent status after applying for newly posted vacancies.

The CMG is urging local leaders to make sure that temporary employees are replacing absent staff members and that there are enough permanent employees at work or on leave to fill all of the positions on the schedules. If not, says the Guild, it is quite possible that permanent jobs should be posted and filled.

(This is an edited version of a story that first appeared on the Canadian Media Guild web site.)