Unionized employees of Canada's public broadcaster
will vote at the end of January on a tentative five-year collective
agreement that, for the first time, was reached
well before expiry of the current contract.
“This is the first time in my CBC career that bargaining has involved real dialogue from beginning to end,” says Marc-Philippe Laurin, president of the CBC branch of the Canadian Media Guild. “Not only did we come away with real improvements to key provisions in the agreement, but we also feel confident that the agreement will be followed without constant disagreements and disputes.”
The historic deal, reached three months ahead of time, improves benefits for new parents, allows employees to buy additional vacation time, clarifies rules on hiring of non-permanent workers and provides for additional severance pay in the event of a layoff. It also includes a 1.5-per-cent annual wage increase, effective on the first day of the new year, and the opportunity for a re-opening of wage negotiations in 2011.
“The deal demonstrates that the Guild and CBC are committed to improving our relationship,” Laurin says. “Our next job is to make sure that our members feel the benefits of that relationship every day at work for a long time to come. That will require both sides to be vigilant and not drop the relationship ball and, if we can do that, everyone wins, including public broadasting.”
The full text of the agreement is to be available early in January. A ratification vote is to be held at the end of the month, following membership meetings with the bargaining committee.