TORONTO – The Canadian Media Guild said today it will announce the results of the strike vote taken this week on either July 19th or 20th.
Expect overwhelming support in favor of strike action.
“Negotiations resume on July 18 and the Guild’s bargaining committee is prepared to negotiate day and night to get a fair deal with the Corporation,” says CMG.
Over 5,500 CBC employees are members of the CMG, which urged its members to vote yes, saying that the CBC is “trying to guarantee maximum flexibility to hire and fire employees at its whim.” Talks have been ongoing since May 2004.
The two sides are now meeting with a federally-appointed conciliator, which is expected to last until late in July. If no deal is reached the two sides have a 21-day “cooling off” period, during which they can continue to bargain, says the CMG. If there still isn’t a deal by that time – the middle of August – either side must give the other 72 hours notice before beginning a strike or lockout.
No hard strike deadline has yet been set.
The CMG most strongly objects, not to money, but to the fact that the CBC is moving more towards hiring contract workers and not full time employees
