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23 October 2006
Local hard hit by Osprey Media
job
outsourcing reluctantly votes for new deal
St.
Catharines Typographical Union | TNG
Canada Local 30416
The remaining members of the Guild
Local at the St. Catharines Standard — the Osprey
daily hardest hit by the company's job outsourcing
policies — have voted reluctantly to accept a
new collective agreement.
Facing the possibility of a strike or lockout
on Sunday, members of the St. Catharines Typographical Union followed
the recommendation of their bargaining team and voted Friday night
17-3 in favour of ratifying the tentative deal.
"They were relieved," says Brenda Halden,
Local president. "They're not happy, but the contract
is acceptable."
The three-year agreement, retroactive to May 1, provides
for annual salary increases of 2.25, 2.0 and 2.25 per
cent for the Local's 24 members. The company also agreed
to annual one-dollar increments in its weekly contribution
to the pension plan, which will take the amount per
employee from $28.69 to $31.69 by the end of the contract.
David Esposti, TNG Canada/CWA Staff Representative,
who assisted the Local through several days of conciliation
in mid-September and then mediation late last week,
says there were other minor improvements in vision
care, vacation and shift differentials.
One of the big disappointments was the union's failure
to get an iron-clad job security guarantee. The no-contracting-out
clause in their former contract did not stop Osprey
from axing 22 Guild members and outsourcing their jobs
to its classified advertising and circulation call
centres in Sarnia and Niagara Falls or composing room
work to the non-union Welland Tribune.
A grievance filed by the Local over the layoffs was
settled on Sept. 20, when Osprey agreed to improve
severance pay for the workers who lost their jobs,
increasing the maximum payout to 36 weeks from 26.
Osprey still faces potential battles at three other
of its daily newspapers where the Guild represents
workers. The Sudbury Star, where the contract expired
on May 1, is scheduled for mediation in mid-November.
At the Sault Star, negotiations to renew the
contract that expired in August are scheduled for Nov.
1-2. At
The Nugget in North Bay, the president of the Local
is mobilizing members for negotiations expected at
the end of this year, when the collective agreement
expires. |