TORONTO – The CBC workforce will officially be 392 positions smaller very soon.
A memo circulated Thursday at the public broadcaster says that the “first phase” of the cuts announced in June will see those positions eliminated before the end of the broadcaster’s fiscal year, March 31, 2015. However, most affected will receive notices mid-November.
“It is estimated that 115 of these positions will be in corporate services, 154 in English services, and 123 in French services,” reads the memo. “Of these, over a quarter are existing vacancies created through normal departures or retirement, and many others have already been implemented. We will be making the remaining reductions in the coming weeks, with the majority of notices handed out in mid-November.”
“Today, we will be informing those teams who will be most impacted, and meeting with union representatives. We will also serve notice to the Minister of Labour,” says the memo.
“Although it is difficult to say goodbye to colleagues, these changes are needed to ensure a financially sustainable CBC/Radio-Canada that will be better positioned to meet the evolving needs of Canadians and the fundamental shifts transforming the media landscape.
“We thank you for your continued professionalism, passion and dedication.”
