TNG Canada: CanWest daily prodded into contract containing only advances

12 April 2007

CanWest daily prodded into contract containing only advances

TNG/CWA British Columbia | TNG Canada Local 30403
Victoria-Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild | TNG Canada Local 30223

Dogged negotiators for three unions have prodded a CanWest daily newspaper, which was determined to move backwards on contract language, into a 180-degree turn and secured tentative collective agreements that take them forwards.

Management offer to mailers 'almost identical' to 2002 strike trigger

Publisher sets sour tone at outset of collective bargaining

3 unions ratify deal forged by Joint Council

The bitter strike of 2002

"We pushed them back on every demand they made," says Ray Rudersdorfer, president of TNG/CWA British Columbia, whose 45 members work in the mailroom at the Victoria Times Colonist. "After many meetings, we were able to beat them back and actually made advances."

Bargaining as a Joint Council along with the Victoria-Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild (VVING) and the Communications Energy and Paperworkers (CEP) union, the committee is recommending ratification of a four-year agreement that contains annual wage increases of 2.5, 2.5, 2.75 and 3.0 per cent, retroactive to Jan. 1.

Members of Rudersdorfer's Local will be asked to ratify the deal this Sunday; the ratification votes will be completed when VVING's members meet on April 23.

Rudersdorfer — for whom this was the 728th collective agreement he has helped negotiate since 1964 — says the Joint Council will not release details of the tentative deal until after all members have been informed, but did note there were improvements in the health and welfare package, as well as in pensions.

VVING's 200 members work in editorial, advertising, circulation, maintenance, information technology and the business department. The CEP Local's 30 members work in the pressroom, pre-press and composing.

At the outset of bargaining in January, VVING president Chris Carolan said the company wanted, among other setbacks, to be able to hire casual employees and provide no benefits except paid vacation; make inroads on sick-leave provisions; and reduce the employer/employee split on payment of premiums for extended health benefits from 90/10 to 80/20.

Rudersdorfer described the demands as "total decimation" and said the company's initial offer "was almost identical to what we went on strike over in 2002."

The tentative deal was reached on Tuesday, one day after the CanWest MediaWorks Income Fund reported that first-quarter profit had almost doubled to $60.5 million. Net earnings for the quarter ended Nov. 30 rose from $30.7 million a year earlier.

The income fund holds a 25.8-per-cent interest in CanWest MediaWorks Limited Partnership, which publishes 10 metro dailies, including the Victoria Times Colonist.