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Filmmaker Moore Pressures CBC to End Lockout
The list of politicians and celebrities standing solidly behind locked-out workers at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation now includes American filmmaker Michael Moore, who is demanding that CBC drop weekend plans to air his Academy-Award-winning film "Bowling for Columbine."
"I do not want my film being broadcast on the network unless it is willing to let its own workers back in to work and promises to bargain with them in good faith," Moore said, calling the lockout "an action that is abhorrent to all who believe in the rights of people to collectively bargain. Why the great and honorable CBC is behaving like an American corporation is beyond me."
The public broadcaster – which hasn't responded to Moore - locked out 5,500 members of the Canadian Media Guild on Aug. 15 after a year of talks focusing largely on job security issues. The workers, who are part of The Newspaper Guild-CWA, include CBC on-air, production, technical and administrative staff across Canada.
While the two sides reached agreement this week on outsourcing – though details have not been released – key job security issues remain unresolved. The overriding issue is the CBC's demand to hire virtually unlimited numbers of non-permanent workers who wouldn't have benefits or job security.
Across Canada, morale on picket lines is high as public support remains strong for the locked-out workers, union leaders say. Hundreds of people packed a Toronto concert hall Wednesday night for a free benefit show and to hear speakers urge an end to the lockout.
The president of CBC is expected to be called before Parliament's Heritage Committee to explain the lockout after the legislature resumes next week. For updates, see www.cbcontheline.ca.
"I do not want my film being broadcast on the network unless it is willing to let its own workers back in to work and promises to bargain with them in good faith," Moore said, calling the lockout "an action that is abhorrent to all who believe in the rights of people to collectively bargain. Why the great and honorable CBC is behaving like an American corporation is beyond me."
The public broadcaster – which hasn't responded to Moore - locked out 5,500 members of the Canadian Media Guild on Aug. 15 after a year of talks focusing largely on job security issues. The workers, who are part of The Newspaper Guild-CWA, include CBC on-air, production, technical and administrative staff across Canada.
While the two sides reached agreement this week on outsourcing – though details have not been released – key job security issues remain unresolved. The overriding issue is the CBC's demand to hire virtually unlimited numbers of non-permanent workers who wouldn't have benefits or job security.
Across Canada, morale on picket lines is high as public support remains strong for the locked-out workers, union leaders say. Hundreds of people packed a Toronto concert hall Wednesday night for a free benefit show and to hear speakers urge an end to the lockout.
The president of CBC is expected to be called before Parliament's Heritage Committee to explain the lockout after the legislature resumes next week. For updates, see www.cbcontheline.ca.