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10 June 2005
News service employees
ratify 4-year agreement
Canadian
Media Guild | TNG Canada
Local 30213
Canadian Media Guild members who work for
Reuters Canada have voted 86 per cent in favour of ratifying
a tentative agreement for a four-year contract.
In recommending acceptance of the
deal, bargaining committee members Rick Franolla, Victoria
Hantziantoniou, Jeff Jones and Staff Representative Kathy
Viner, noted that "this
is a good deal for Reuters Canada's Guild-represented staff,
especially against a backdrop of budget cuts and outsourcing
throughout the company worldwide."
The ratification vote took place June 8 and 9.
The 80 members who work as reporters, editors,
technical staff, receptionists or in client administration
at offices of the news service across the country, with the
majority located in Toronto, will see the following salary
increases: Effective Jan. 1, 2005: 0.5 per cent; effective
April 1, 2005: a further 2.5 per cent, fully retroactive.
An increase of 2.75 per cent takes effect on the 1st of April
in each of the three following years (2006-2008).
With the launch of Reuters online operations, the company
has moved to a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week operation. Editorial
employees expressed the need to be treated in a fair and
healthy manner in the scheduling of shifts, especially overnight.
The bargaining committee believes this has been achieved.
Employees will not be scheduled to work overnight shifts
for longer than three consecutive weeks and no one will be
scheduled to work overnights again for at least nine weeks.
At the end of an overnight rotation, employees will be guaranteed
three consecutive days off.
Other highlights:
- Improved terms and conditions
of employment for part-time employees;
- Time off for family and/or personal emergencies;
- Sick leave provisions are now clearly spelled out
in the collective agreement.
Reuters’ management came to
the table seeking to share the cost of some of the health
benefits. The bargaining committee made two concessions,
in areas that would have the least overall impact:
- The charge for the Pay Direct
Drug Benefit will rise from $2 to $5 per prescription
as of January 1, 2006.
- Beginning Jan. 1, 2006, employees will pay the premiums
for Long Term Disability insurance, which amounts to
less than one per cent of salary.
The LTD change does benefit employees. Currently, the company
pays the premiums. A worker who becomes disabled and qualifies
for LTD would receive 60 per cent of her salary. However,
this income is taxable, so net pay is significantly reduced.
When the employee pays the premium, the income is not taxable
and results in a monthly payment almost equal to after-tax
take-home pay.
These benefit changes are being implemented
for all Reuters’ Canada
employees, not just Guild members.
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