19 December 2003

After lengthy battle with Gazette,
classified advertising organized

Montreal Newspaper Guild | TNG Canada Local 30111

The Montreal Newspaper Guild has become the first TNG Canada/CWA Local to successfully conclude an organizing drive at a CanWest Global newspaper since the company acquired the Southam chain in mid-2000.

The victory is the culmination of a seven-year fight by the Guild to unionize 46 employees in The Gazette's classified advertising department. With these additions, the local now represents 357 Gazette employees.

“Our members are ecstatic. And not just those in the classified advertising department,” says Jan Ravensbergen, first vice-president of the Local.

“This is another significant step in our ongoing battle against the corporate concentration and downsizing that we are seeing all across the CanWest empire," he adds.

“Now it’s down to business. We have named a negotiating committee for the unit, and are ready to begin bargaining a first collective agreement.”

The road to victory was long and arduous, involving five accreditation requests.

A certification for the bargaining unit under the Quebec Labour Code was initially granted July 8, but the Gazette appealed the decision.

After two further hearings, a Quebec labour commissioner this month rejected the Gazette’s legal arguments and confirmed the Guild as the sole bargaining agent for all non-management employees within the classified advertising department.