21 AUGUST 2006

Guild hopes conciliator can head off
'attack on fundamental rights'
of APTN editorial staff

Canadian Media Guild | TNG Canada Local 30213

Seeking to thwart "an outright attack on the fundamental rights" of editorial staff at the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), the Canadian Media Guild is asking for the assistance of a conciliator to negotiate a new collective agreement.

In a communiqué to the 17 members of the bargaining unit, the negotiating team says it has reached an impasse on several key issues:

• Pay cut: Management proposes to tie employee progression on the salary scales to its flawed performance review system. Under APTN’s proposal, if an employee was graded “unsatisfactory” in just one category of his annual performance review, or was graded “needs improvement” in just two categories, he would not be entitled to a salary increase.

The Guild says it cannot agree to let the sole, unscrutinized and subjective opinion of management determine whether or not an employee will get an annual salary increase. Under this scenario, an APTN manager could deny an increase because someone submitted time sheets late or kept a messy desk. The effect is to deny employees pay increases based on increased experience and value to the broadcaster. "This is an outright attack on the fundamental rights of the editorial staff and we will not accept it," says the communiqué.

• Free work: APTN is refusing to discuss the elimination of overtime averaging. Averaging is used to reduce the cost of employee labour by avoiding overtime payments. It’s a practice that makes the concept of overtime work meaningless. "There can be no justification for exploitation of APTN employees," says the Guild.

• Job security: Management is refusing to consider a “no contracting out” clause as part of the collective agreement. "APTN management is not prepared to make a commitment to its employees. We think it’s fair that people who built the organization share in its future," says the Guild.

The bargaining team says it has gone as far as possible in negotiations to renew the contract that expired on April 24, so the CMG is asking the federal labour minister to appoint a conciliator.

APTN, a private, non-profit corporation based in Winnipeg, is the world's first and only national broadcaster dedicated to Indigenous Peoples programming, serving First Nations, Métis and Inuit populations. About 20 per cent of its programming is in an aboriginal language and it maintains news bureaus in seven cities across the country.

The Guild represents about 45 employees who are primarily responsible for network operations and producing APTN National News and Contact, a call-in show. Staff include producers, studio crew, reporters, master control operators, videojournalists, researchers, shooter/editors, anchors and broadcast technicians.

(This is an edited version of a story first posted on the Canadian Media Guild website.)