17 AUGUST 2006

Guild making headway
on 2 collective agreements

Montreal Newspaper Guild | TNG Canada Local 30111

The team negotiating a new collective agreement for employees in the business office at the Montreal Gazette is heading back to the table with fresh instructions following a membership meeting Wednesday.

"The biggest issue is to get a common expiry with three other bargaining units (editorial, advertising and circulation), so they're looking for a two-year contract," says David Wilson, the TNG Canada Staff Representative who has been working with the Montreal Local.

The contract for the 18-member unit expired in late July. Two days of negotiations, on Aug. 1 and 2, failed to produce an agreement.

Meanwhile, the 45 classified advertising employees who were certified in December 2003, are still without a first contract. Unable to negotiate a collective agreement, both parties elected to move to binding arbitration on the outstanding issues of money and job security (in relation to jurisdiction and organizational or technological change).

Wilson says the union expects hearings to resume in early September and that it will require one more day to present its case.

In another development this week, 1st Vice-President Mona Leroux became President of the Local, after the resignation of Michele Carle for personal reasons. Vacancies on the executive will be on the agenda at the next general membership meeting Sept. 16.