2011.11.10 | CWA Canada Local 30213 | Canadian Media Guild

 

First contract sets standard for workers
at centralized newspaper production facilities

Workers at the only centralized newspaper production facility in the country to be unionized have blazed a trail for others by ratifying a first collective agreement.

CWA Canada's 13 newest members work at Pagemasters North America (PMNA) in Toronto, which offers layout and design services, as well as "agate" — sports scores and stock listings — to newspapers in North America and the Caribbean. Clients include the Globe and Mail as well as a number of smaller Canadian papers and one in the Bahamas.

PMNA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Canadian Press, whose employees are represented by the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), CWA Canada's largest Local.

The big chains in Canada, such as Quebecor, Postmedia and Irving, have over the last few years killed off local newspaper jobs and shifted this type of work to their own non-union centralized production facilities.

"Media companies have been eliminating pagination and agate jobs. We see that trend continuing as employers look to reduce production costs," says Keith Maskell, a staff representative with the CMG. "Rather than watching the jobs head offshore, companies like PMNA provide an alternative that keeps the money, the jobs and the people performing the work right here in Canada."

The contract with PMNA ratified Oct. 31 by 88 per cent of voting members "sets the standard for the industry," says Martin O'Hanlon, Director of CWA Canada. He expects the national union might be hearing from people who have been hired by the big media companies to do similar work. "We welcome interest from workers at other facilities who are underpaid and undervalued."

"Throughout the negotiation process we were very aware of the fact that PMNA is still in many ways a start-up operation," says Maskell. "On the other hand, new companies don't get breaks on things like hydro bills or rental costs, so we didn't feel it was reasonable to set wage rates too low just for the sake of protecting the company. Our members will continue to provide high-quality work in return for decent salaries, and the employer will be responsible for generating revenue and ensuring the sustainability and growth of the company."

A key provision provides for increases to the base rates if company revenues exceed certain benchmarks over the life of the agreement, which runs until Dec. 31, 2014. Employees receiving above-scale salaries will also see more money if the company succeeds.

The agreement sets out all of the basic rules and principles that one would normally expect in a first collective agreement. Current employees, many of whom came to Pagemasters after working several years at The Canadian Press, will see their salaries and benefits maintained or "grandfathered."