2012.04.02 | CWA Canada Local 30213 | Canadian Media Guild
Board certification brings Halifax news workers into union
CWA Canada has six new members as the result of a decision issued today by the Canada Industrial Relations Board to certify the union's largest Local to represent radio news workers in Halifax.
The employees at the radio hub owned by Maritime Broadcasting System (MBS) provide news to 23 MBS stations in Atlantic Canada.
The company failed in its effort to have the News Director — officially known within MBS as Manager - Maritime News Network — excluded from the bargaining unit.
The CIRB found that, while a person in the position "clearly has important responsibilities with respect to the quality of the product produced by the newsroom, and undoubtedly exercises a number of supervisory functions in this regard, the Board cannot find that this position has the necessary degree of independent decision-making authority to warrant a finding that the incumbent performs managerial functions within the meaning of the [Canada Labour] Code."
This will be the fourth MBS radio station at which the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) will represent workers. Last year, 11 on-air staff at three MBS stations in Saint John, NB, (K-100, 98.9 Big John FM and 93 CFBC) were certified as a bargaining unit; they are currently negotiating a first collective agreement.
After a majority of the MBS Halifax workers signed union cards in February, Dave Bosveld, organizing director for CWA Canada, said they simply "would like to have some input on the way the station is being run."
The CMG filed the application to the CIRB seeking immediate certification, which was granted after a review of written submissions by the parties.
The Guild represents 6,000 workers across Canada at 11 media organizations, including CBC/Radio-Canada employees in Saint John and workers at CJRC, a Cogeco-owned radio station in Gatineau, Quebec.
"We are committed to helping workers in private radio improve their working conditions," says Carmel Smyth, national president of the CMG.
For more information or to inquire about forming a union in your workplace, contact CWA Canada organizing director Dave Bosveld: dbosveld@cwa-scacanada.ca | 416-948-0539 | CWA Canada national office toll-free 1-877-486-4292.