2012.05.15 | CWA Canada Local 30213 | Canadian Media Guild
Staff at radio stations 100% in favour of strike
to win first contract
Newly unionized staff at three radio stations in Saint John, NB, voted unanimously today to give their bargaining committee the go-ahead to call a strike if necessary in order to achieve a first contract.
CWA Canada's largest Local, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), was certified last July to represent employees at the stations owned by Maritime Broadcasting System (MBS). Although bargaining began more than eight months ago, there has been little progress on reaching an agreement despite the involvement of a conciliator. As a result, the two sides will be in a legal strike/lockout position as of June 1.
"Our priority is to bargain a fair first agreement with MBS" that provides realistic wages, a measure of job security and some semblance of respect, said Gary Stackhouse, a member of the bargaining committee.
A Facebook group set up by listeners to support Guild members at K-100, 93 CFBC and 98.9 Big John FM now has more than 3,400 supporters: www.facebook.com/groups/fairdealformbspeople/.
"We have been overwhelmed and humbled by the support the community has shown us," said Stackhouse. "We want to assure the citizens of Saint John that we're committed to serving the community and our listeners."
The union applied for federal conciliation in January after making no headway in bargaining because the management team would not respond to proposals or table any of its own. There were several meetings in February and March in the presence of the conciliator, but little progress was made.
Last week, the employer presented an insulting wage proposal on paper and left the table without explaining it. The salary rates would start at $22,041 and cap at $28,542 by 2015, which would amount to a wage rollback of several thousand dollars for existing positions.
The salary offer is especially offensive considering MBS owner Robert Pace, a Nova Scotia lawyer, was paid more than $290,000 in 2010 for sitting on a single corporate board, Canadian National Railways. (He serves as a director on a half dozen boards, all of which come with generous compensation.) Average annual salary in New Brunswick was about $39,000 in 2009.
"In all my years of negotiating, I have rarely encountered a management team with so little regard for their employees or the collective bargaining process," said Dan Oldfield, CMG's senior staff representative. "So far, they have shown utter disrespect for their employees. If the management team changes its mind and wants to return to the table, we'll be there and ready to bargain. And we'll support our members with whatever they need from the CMG."
The Guild is advising members to restrict their work to regular duties and hours. This does not include non-paid events. It has been the company's practise to insist that employees take part in so-called "station promotional events" such as soap box derbies, sandcastle contests and pond hockey, without pay.