13 August 2003

APTN technical staff join colleagues in Guild

Canadian Media Guild | TNG Canada Local 30213

Technical staff at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) have chosen to join their colleagues in the News & Current Affairs area as members of the Canadian Media Guild (CMG).

Earlier this week, the CMG submitted an application to the Canadian Industrial Relations Board to have shooter/editors, studio crew, master control operators, Web editors and broadcast technicians certified as a collective bargaining unit.

The addition of these technical employees will nearly double the number of Guild members in the APTN branch, bringing the total to more than 40 — representing nearly half of all of APTN's staff across the country.

When the News & Current Affairs staff applied to be represented by the CMG more than a year ago, APTN did not oppose the application, saying that it would respect its employees' choice to organize. The Guild trusts that APTN will continue to respect its employees by not opposing this application.

(This story first appeared on the Canadian Media Guild web site.)