[Swprograms] CBC gives union strike vote

[Ricky Leong <rleong@xxxxxxx>]

(From a press release)

Toronto, Ontario, Jul.19 /PR Direct/ - More than eighty-seven per cent of CBC 
employees are prepared to strike, if necessary, to get a fair contract. The 
Canadian Media Guild’s strike vote took place between July 8 and July 14.

This is the strongest strike mandate given to a union representing employees at 
the CBC in recent memory.

"This is very strong support for the Guild and a flat rejection of the revolving 
door approach to employment that the Corporation is putting forward," says 
Arnold Amber, the president of the CBC branch of the Guild. "We know that’s not 
the right way to go about creating quality programming for the Canadian public."

The Guild is also encouraged by the fact that 67% of employees turned out to 
vote. "This is an incredible accomplishment for a mid-summer vote and speaks 
volumes about the dissatisfaction our members are feeling with CBC management’s 
proposals," adds Amber.

The two sides have been at the table for more than a year to reach a single 
collective agreement covering, for the first time, 5,500 on-air, production, 
technical and administrative employees working at CBC outside Quebec. The 
employees were formerly in three separate bargaining units.

A major sticking point is the push by the Corporation to gain the ability to 
hire, without limitation, most new employees on a casual basis. Contracting out, 
employees’ right to reassignment in the event of downsizing, and compensation 
for overtime are other key issues that remain unresolved.

According to federal law, the earliest a strike or lock out could be called is 
August 15.

"We want to use this strong mandate in the weeks ahead to get a deal at the 
table and we’re prepared to work around the clock to do so," Amber says. "The 
Guild has never been on strike at the CBC. But I’ve been negotiating for 25 
years and this is the worst set of proposals I have ever seen from the Corporation.

"The Guild will not accept a wish list from CBC management that we know is not 
necessary, or desirable, for quality broadcasting in the 21st Century."

The Canadian Media Guild represents media employees across Canada, including 
workers at Canadian Press/Broadcast News, Reuters, TVOntario, Aboriginal Peoples 
Television Network, VisionTV, and Toronto 1. The Guild also recently applied for 
certification to represent technical employees at Alliance Atlantis Broadcasting.
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