|
21 June 2005
CBC strike vote set for mid-July
August job action anticipated if
no deal reached
Canadian
Media Guild | TNG
Canada Local 30213
The Canadian Media Guild is urging members
employed at the CBC to arm their bargaining team with a strike
mandate.
It was announced today that a vote is to be held across
Canada on July 13-14, when Guild members will be asked to
show support for the committee that has been negotiating
for more than a year. The strike vote was called following
two weeks of meetings with members at various locations across
the country.
|
• CMG members can
vote at their location on July 13 or 14 between 0900
and 1700 local time.
• If unable to vote in person, members can vote
by proxy by authorizing a colleague to cast a ballot
on your behalf.
• An advance poll will be available via the Internet
from 1200 July 8 to 1800 (Eastern time) July 11.
|
A federally appointed conciliator has been
meeting with the two sides since early June and will continue
to do so until late July. If no deal is reached by that time,
there will be a 21-day "cooling off" period during
which bargaining can continue. If a tentative agreement has
not been reached by mid-August, either side must give the
other 72 hours notice before beginning a strike or lockout.
The CMG last month failed in its
bid to have conciliation conducted by a "commissioner" rather than an "officer" — as
the CBC requested — because a commissioner's report
can be made public.
“We believe the final report of the commissioner should
be made public. The CBC is a public trust. The potential
for a major work disruption is significant and it is our
view that public disclosure around the issues in dispute
would be useful in encouraging the parties to bargain responsibly," the
CMG said in its letter to the Minister of Labour.
“The parties have been bargaining for more than a
year to reach what could best be described as a first collective
agreement. A new single bargaining unit was created (that)
represents about 5,000 employees in CBC’s English services.
The issues are complicated on their own merit. The proposed
introduction of new pay scales and classifications following
a seven-year long ‘job evaluation’ process is
adding to the complexity.”
The CMG reported that, in meetings
with conciliator Jennifer Webster, the two parties outlined
their views on outstanding issues. "While the challenges
are daunting, we continue to believe that agreement between
the parties is possible as long as good faith negotiations
take place."
Agreement was recently reached on several issues, including:
scheduling of meals and breaks; sales vehicle allowance;
shift differential; air credits; occasional contributors;
special leave; and travel.
The Guild says its objective is to
ensure members have a right to pursue a career in public
broadcasting, while the CBC is trying to "guarantee
maximum flexibility to hire and fire employees at its whim."
The CMG is also trying to achieve "a
healthy balance between work and life outside of work,
a focus on training and skills development, and fair compensation
for the work we do."
In a communique to members about
next month's vote, the CMG says: "We need to send
a strong message to CBC management that you back your Guild
bargaining committee against the Corporation's regressive
positions."
It offers these examples:
Temporary
Contracts: The CBC
wants to hire future workers in all areas across all
units on temporary contracts.
"This would ultimately phase
out permanent employment at the CBC. If you are now
on contract, you could never hope for any kind of job security.
If you are now permanent, you would likely be targeted
for layoff. The Guild believes that a stable and committed
workforce is needed to create quality public broadcasting."
Contracting
Out: The Guild seeks assurances that
decisions around contracting out won’t be based on
the simple premise that “if anyone can do it cheaper,
it’s for sale”
Layoff and Recall: Management seeks to severely limit
an employee’s right to available work in the event
of a downsizing.
Overtime Averaging: Management continues to insist
on averaging some employees’ overtime over four weeks.
Averaging defeats the purpose of overtime, which is to
discourage management from routinely scheduling or assigning
extra hours of work.
Turn Around: CBC continues
to insist that the time between shifts (turnaround)
be just 8 hours for everyone.
"We think that is unreasonable and unfair. Most employees
now have a 12-hour turn around. The Guild believes employees
should have enough time to enjoy their families and get a
good night’s sleep between shifts."
The CMG is explaining to members
that a yes vote next month would mean "you are authorizing
the Guild to declare a job action, up to and including
a strike, if negotiations fail. This will send a message
to the Corporation that you are serious enough about these
issues to take job action if necessary. That is the most
powerful negotiating tool we have."
If the bargaining committee decides that job action is necessary,
it will seek approval for a strike from the CMG National
Executive Committee.
Meetings will be held across Canada before the July vote
to discuss the issues and answer members' questions.
|