TORONTO – The Canadian Media Guild has met with federal labour minister Joe Fontana to ask for the appointment of a special mediator to try and end the lockout of 5,500 employees by the CBC.
Fontana has indicated that he is prepared to do whatever he can to get the talks going again, the CMG said today.
In the meantime, check out this web site, which links to the work CBC employees are doing on the web (blogs, web news, etc.) and on university campus radio stations – and a bit about CBC English TV head Richard Stursberg being accidentally locked out of the building himself and having to deal with angry workers.
“The Corporation locked out CBC employees on August 15 because the Guild bargaining committee refused to accept the principle the Corporation was advancing: that CBC management be allowed to hire entire classifications of employees (eg. producers, editors, researchers, hosts, information technology workers, account managers, etc) on a contract basis whenever management so wishes,” says the CMG’s update.
“This is the same proposal that has been rejected overwhelmingly by Guild members and their bargaining committee. Based on the messages of support that are streaming in from across the country, it is also not something that CBC audiences – the public broadcaster’s most important stakeholders – favour.”
“The Corporation’s position has not changed since the lockout began,” it continues. “In trying to work around the corporation’s single-minded approach, the Guild tabled a proposal months ago that is designed to address what management claimed was a need for greater flexibility. We believe our proposal creates the framework for a settlement as it addresses the need for flexibility in our industry.
“For the moment, CBC management appears completely disinterested in real contract talks. It is setting a very strict condition on returning to the negotiating table, forcing the Guild and its members to agree to a major concession even before any bargaining could resume,” insists the Guild. “Despite what senior managers are telling Guild members as they cross the picket line in Toronto, the Guild bargaining committee has received no word from management that is prepared to return to the table without conditions.”
