Newsroom strike talks break down

HALIFAX — Talks between The Chronicle Herald and its striking newsroom workers broke off today when the company tabled a position worse than the one that forced workers to strike in January.

David Wilson, lead negotiator for the union, said the stance taken by Herald is “unworkable and insulting.”

Wilson, a staff representative with CWA Canada, says the Herald’s position is unlike that of any other newspaper company in the country.

“The employer says it needs to get the concessions that our union has given at other newspapers across the country and I say, ‘What concessions?’ ”

Outside of a few tweaks to allow for more flexibility, there have been no concessions at other newspapers, he said.

“We presented a concessionary offer to the employer last week that should have piqued the employer’s interest. It had concessions we never anticipated we’d give, and yet it was still rejected.”

The company wants to lay off almost half the 57 newsroom workers and drop the hourly pay rate by 20 per cent. It would move the work of 18 senior editors outside the union with an annual salary drop of $20,000 to $40,000 with no guarantee of continued employment. Most editors have more than 25 years of service with the Herald.

The striking newsroom workers, who recently launched their own online news publication, LocalXpress.ca, is urging Nova Scotians to boycott The Chronicle Herald and any business that advertises in it until the strike is over.

The union is selling advertising (advertising@localxpress.ca) on the website and is accepting monthly donations (www.patreon.com/localxpress) to pay contributors’ expenses.

The Halifax Typographical Union, a Local of CWA Canada, represents 57 reporters, editors, photographers, editorial writers, columnists and support staff at Atlantic Canada’s largest daily newspaper.

For information, please contact:
David Wilson, CWA Canada, 613-850-5423
Ingrid Bulmer, HTU president, 902-210-3465
Frank Campbell, HTU vice-president, 902-497-0057