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Politicians Join Picket Lines in CBC Lockout
Locked out for a second week, workers at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation are getting tremendous support from politicians of all parties, fellow unionists and viewers, and are using 21st-century technology to keep their audience and people around the world informed.
Members of the Canadian Media Guild-CWA – which represents 5,500 on-air, production, technical and administrative staff across Canada at CBC sites - are reporting news via podcasts and mp3s. To download and listen, go to www.CBCunplugged.com.
In its fight to save both union jobs and quality programming as management seeks to hire virtually unlimited numbers of temporary workers, the Guild has the "complete support" of Canada's New Democratic Party and strong support from the country's opposition parties as well, said Arnold Amber, president of the CBC branch of the Media Guild and director of The Newspaper Guild-Canada.
Amber said further that support from the labor movement in Canada, including the powerful Steelworker and Auto Worker unions and even the National Hockey League Players Association, "is unparalleled." This week, Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz Hargrove visited a Toronto picket line and donated $25,000 from his union to a fund for the locked-out workers.
Political leaders have joined picket lines as well, including Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, who had visited six picket lines in five cities as of Aug. 24.
Meanwhile, union members and ordinary citizens are flooding their Parliament members' offices with postcards of support for the locked-out workers, who are getting what Amber described as "the best media reception that almost any union's ever had in Canada."
In July, after a year at the bargaining table facing what Amber called "the worst set of proposals I have ever seen from the corporation," Guild members voted overwhelmingly to strike if necessary. Under Canadian law, Aug. 15 was the earliest date after the vote that they could walk out. Instead, CBC management locked out the workers.
In addition to temporary hires, other critical issues are contracting out, employees' right to reassignment in the event of downsizing, overtime compensation and better opportunity for training and skills development.
The company has rejected the Guild's proposals for compromise and has told the union not to bother returning to the bargaining table until members are ready to accept the CBC's position in principle, Amber said.
The union has asked the country's Minister of Labor to bring in a federal mediator, and he has agreed to do so, but no talks are scheduled yet.
In a letter to Guild members, CMG President Lise Lareau, called the lockout "an aggressive move" and "un-Canadian."
"This fight is about an agenda driven by senior managers who are not rooted in the values of public broadcasting," she wrote. "Their focus is on appearing to be efficient to themselves and to another small group of Ottawa bureaucrats. Meanwhile, the people who do the programming and our audiences – in television, radio and online – will suffer."
In addition to podcasts available via www.CBCunplugged.com, updates about the lockout are available online at www.CMG.ca and www.CBContheline.ca.
Members of the Canadian Media Guild-CWA – which represents 5,500 on-air, production, technical and administrative staff across Canada at CBC sites - are reporting news via podcasts and mp3s. To download and listen, go to www.CBCunplugged.com.
In its fight to save both union jobs and quality programming as management seeks to hire virtually unlimited numbers of temporary workers, the Guild has the "complete support" of Canada's New Democratic Party and strong support from the country's opposition parties as well, said Arnold Amber, president of the CBC branch of the Media Guild and director of The Newspaper Guild-Canada.
Amber said further that support from the labor movement in Canada, including the powerful Steelworker and Auto Worker unions and even the National Hockey League Players Association, "is unparalleled." This week, Canadian Auto Workers President Buzz Hargrove visited a Toronto picket line and donated $25,000 from his union to a fund for the locked-out workers.
Political leaders have joined picket lines as well, including Minister of Finance Ralph Goodale and New Democratic Party leader Jack Layton, who had visited six picket lines in five cities as of Aug. 24.
Meanwhile, union members and ordinary citizens are flooding their Parliament members' offices with postcards of support for the locked-out workers, who are getting what Amber described as "the best media reception that almost any union's ever had in Canada."
In July, after a year at the bargaining table facing what Amber called "the worst set of proposals I have ever seen from the corporation," Guild members voted overwhelmingly to strike if necessary. Under Canadian law, Aug. 15 was the earliest date after the vote that they could walk out. Instead, CBC management locked out the workers.
In addition to temporary hires, other critical issues are contracting out, employees' right to reassignment in the event of downsizing, overtime compensation and better opportunity for training and skills development.
The company has rejected the Guild's proposals for compromise and has told the union not to bother returning to the bargaining table until members are ready to accept the CBC's position in principle, Amber said.
The union has asked the country's Minister of Labor to bring in a federal mediator, and he has agreed to do so, but no talks are scheduled yet.
In a letter to Guild members, CMG President Lise Lareau, called the lockout "an aggressive move" and "un-Canadian."
"This fight is about an agenda driven by senior managers who are not rooted in the values of public broadcasting," she wrote. "Their focus is on appearing to be efficient to themselves and to another small group of Ottawa bureaucrats. Meanwhile, the people who do the programming and our audiences – in television, radio and online – will suffer."
In addition to podcasts available via www.CBCunplugged.com, updates about the lockout are available online at www.CMG.ca and www.CBContheline.ca.