CWA Canada: Infusion of new blood invigorates Canadian Media Guild leadership

22 November 2007

Infusion of new blood invigorates
Canadian Media Guild leadership

Canadian Media Guild | CWA Canada Local 30213

With plenty of new blood in leadership ranks in the wake of national elections last week, the Canadian Media Guild will be a reinvigorated union come January, says its president.

Lise Lareau says there will be a lot of new faces on national and branch executives across the country, especially those of women and younger members.

The big race was for the position of national vice-president, with the incumbent, Scott Edmonds, being challenged unsuccessfully by Kenn Sunley.

"What's interesting about that race," says Lareau, "is that Scott is from a branch (Canadian Press) with several hundred members, while Kenn is from a branch (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) with several thousand.

"This says to the smaller branches of the CMG that they can be part of the national executive."

Edmonds, who was acclaimed to the position previously and hadn't fought an election for the job, "has a wonderful stature at Canadian Press and internationally, but not nationally," says Lareau. (Edmonds is currently Canada West Vice-President of TNG-CWA.)

Lareau says she was personally happy that he would continue on as the vice-president.

"The CMG needs a good co-presidency because it's such a huge job and there are many political issues," she says. "It's very taxing to take it all on by yourself."

There were quite a few contested positions in this election, partly as a result of the lockout of CBC employees in 2006.

Two women who work in Saskatoon, one of the corporation's smaller bureaus, became activists because of the lockout and both won election, notes Lareau.

Kaveri Bittira, who will become CBC Branch Director, Education & Mobilization, and Gaynette Spafford, soon to be CBC Branch Director, Prairies, "will be people to watch" in the coming years, says Lareau.

Other newcomers to CMG leadership include: Jonathan Spence (National Trustee); Elaine Janes (CBC Branch Vice-President); Rob VanSickle (S-VOX Branch President); and Christopher Beesley (S-VOX Branch Vice-President).