2013.03.18
Departing Quebecor chief leaves 'sorry legacy'
of gutted newspapers
The lack of lamentations for the upcoming departure of Pierre Karl Peladeau as CEO of Quebecor Inc. has spoken volumes about the "sorry legacy" he leaves, says CWA Canada Director Martin O'Hanlon.
Under his leadership, the Quebecor Media and Sun Media divisions' newspapers have suffered greatly, with lengthy lockouts, hundreds of layoffs, outsourcing of work and the destruction of local jobs and quality journalism.
"Under Mr. Peladeau's watch, we have seen once proud local newspapers cut so badly that they no longer provide a quality product. That's bad for communities, bad for workers and bad for democracy," says O'Hanlon.
"I'd love to believe that the change will bring a commitment to quality journalism, but with Mr. Peladeau still in charge of corporate strategy, I think that unlikely."
Peladeau will remain as chairman of Quebecor Media when the leadership changes take place on May 8.
The recent announcement that all non-unionized employees of Sun Media will see no pay increase in 2013 is an "insult" to staff, says O'Hanlon.
The March 5 memo claims the pay freeze "is warranted by changes in our industry which has forced the organization to recently initiate an important restructuring exercise which has led to the elimination of over 500 positions including the closure of two production facilities."
"Non-union workers are now really seeing what they're worth to Quebecor," says O'Hanlon. "It's such an insult to workers' intelligence to blame the wage freeze on 'changes in our industry'.
"The truth is that Quebecor wouldn't have to do this if it would simply give up on its laughable Sun TV which is on track to lose $20 million this year."
Sun TV, a right-wing all-news cable channel dubbed Fox News North, has been a pet project of of Peladeau and is widely seen as a cheerleader for the Harper government and its reformist conservative agenda.
Peladeau has also been accused of waging a "dirty war" against the CBC, using his media outlets to attack the public broadcaster in an effort to see it crippled financially.
CBC President Hubert Lacroix told a parliamentary committee earlier this month that Sun Media reporters "are deliberately misleading Canadians" by insinuating that the Crown corporation is a hotbed of sexual harassment.
The Canadian Media Guild, CWA Canada's largest Local, which represents thousands of workers at the CBC, saluted Lacroix's revelations, saying they bring "an important debate about journalism ethics and quality firmly into the public realm."