TORONTO – Talks between the CBC and its union might begin again soon, the Canadian Media Guild reports this afternoon.
Representatives of the Guild met this week with federal cabinet ministers who are attending the Liberal caucus in Regina. “We are encouraged by the interest and support among MPs to get CBC employees back to work,” says the CMG.
Labour minister Joe Fontana has said he is willing to help get the two sides together and CMG says his ministry is looking to appoint a special mediator, perhaps as soon as this week.
However, while early on Wednesday, CBC president Robert Rabinovitch and TV vice president Richard Stursberg both told picketers in Toronto that management has placed no pre-conditions on the resumption of talks, on Wednesday evening, a senior member of the management bargaining committee pointed out to a union leader that "Mr. Stursberg is not on the (management) bargaining committee,” says the union.
“Meanwhile, the Guild has learned that members of the management bargaining team were hustled back to the Royal York Hotel today to have their photo taken. Apparently, they want to show they are ready and eager to bargain. The irony is that the photo is being taken 11 days after the Corporation forced an end to bargaining by imposing a lockout,” says the Guild, which added it’s now waiting on official CBC word on how it will get back to the table.
