Category Archives: CWA/SCA Canada

Strike vote spurs tentative deal in Halifax

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Source: cwa-scacanada.ca

A tentative agreement on a new contract for newsroom workers at The Chronicle Herald has been reached after the union bargaining team was armed with a strong strike mandate.

Negotiators for the Halifax Typographical Union (HTU) are “happy with the agreement and will be recommending it to our members,” says president Stephen Forest. He expects a ratification vote to be held next Saturday, Feb. 18.

Following a strike vote on Saturday, Feb. 4, the two sides resumed negotiations Wednesday with the assistance of conciliator Jarrod Baboushkin, and emerged Thursday with the tentative deal.

Martin O’Hanlon, Director of CWA Canada, was delighted with the outcome. “The breakthrough came just days after members voted 96-per-cent in favour of strike action … showing once again the power of a strong, united membership.”

Going into conciliation, the company was seeking to greatly reduce the entry-level pay for reporters and photographers.

When nearly all of the bargaining unit’s 84 members (comprising reporters, photographers, editors, librarians and support staff) turned out for the strike vote, the message was unmistakeable, said Forest. “The membership is very clear that the company’s plan to turn back the clock on salaries is unacceptable.”

 

2012.02.06|  Hard bargaining in Halifax aided by strong strike mandate

2009.02.03|  First-ever layoffs leave newsroom staff reeling

2008.01.14|  Planned strike vote switches to ratification nod to 4-year deal

This week’s developments were a virtual replay of negotiations four years ago. The parties went into conciliation early in 2008 and emerged with a tentative agreement, which was ratified by 96 per cent of voters. That contract expired on Nov. 21, 2011.

Major cuts to the editorial department in 2009 were partially offset in the latter half of 2011, says Forest, with the hiring of four business reporters and a photographer. Local competition has prompted the company to nearly double the size of the daily newspaper’s business section.

The HTU also represents press operators and employees in the composing room at the Chronicle Herald.

Newsroom employees vote to support strike action

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Unionized newsroom employees at The Chronicle Herald have voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action, if necessary, in their contract talks with company.

At a strike vote held Saturday, Feb. 4 more than 96 per cent delivered the mandate to their bargaining committee.

Among the key issues, the union is opposing the company’s attempts to pay starting reporters and photographers thousands less than it currently does.

“The membership is very clear that the company’s plan to turn back the clock on salaries is unacceptable,” says union president Stephen Forest. “We care about the salaries of future employees because of the long-term implications it has all for employees.”

This strong show of support comes as the union is about to begin conciliation talks with the newspaper. Those talks begin Wednesday, Feb. 8.

Nearly 92 per cent of the Halifax Typographical Union’s 84 members cast a ballot.

The HTU represents reporters, photographers, editors, and other newsroom staff.  Union members have been without a contract since November 21, 2011.

The Halifax Typographical Union is affiliated with CWA / SCA Canada, the country’s oldest media union and represents journalists in newspapers, television and radio across Canada.

For further information, contact:

Stephen Forest

President, Halifax Typographical Union

(902) 452-2390 (c)

CWA Canada and CAJ launch new journalism award for excellence in labour reporting

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Source: cwa-scacanada.ca

Has your journalism advanced the Canadian public’s understanding of a labour issue? Have you been creative in telling stories about workers and their unions? Has your story had an impact on policy or law?

The Canadian Association of Journalists is pleased to announce there’s now an award for that — the CWA Canada / CAJ Award for Excellence in Labour Reporting.

This new award is being jointly sponsored by CWA Canada and its biggest Local, the Canadian Media Guild.

The award will be presented at the CAJ’s annual gala, to be held at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto on April 28, 2012. A $1,000 prize is up for grabs for the top labour-related reporting in either of Canada’s official languages.

“Labour reporting has played a vital role over the last century in highlighting workplace and social injustice and bringing progressive change,” says CWA Canada Director Martin O’Hanlon. “This award will honour and encourage reporting that shines a light on issues that affect millions of working Canadians.”

Submissions will be accepted from Canadian journalists, with priority given to stories on Canadian labour events and issues. The full details on eligibility criteria and how to apply will be released as part of the CAJ Awards package before the end of the year and will be posted at www.cwa-scacanada.ca, www.cmg.ca and www.caj.ca.

The new award joins the annual CAJ awards program, which recognizes the nation’s top investigative journalism across all media and excellence in journalism in several other categories.

“We’re proud to have CWA Canada and the CMG join our awards program,” says CAJ President Hugo Rodrigues. “This new award fits in well with our other award categories in rewarding and promoting journalism that makes a difference in the lives of Canadians.”

The CAJ is Canada’s largest national professional organization for journalists from all media, representing hundreds of members across the country. Its primary roles are to provide high-quality professional development for its members and public-interest advocacy.

 

Let’s hope sale of Victoria Times Colonist means better days ahead for local jobs, journalism

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NEWS RELEASE – CWA|SCA CANADA

 

October 19, 2011 / OTTAWA — CWA|SCA Canada, the union that represents workers at the Victoria Times Colonist, is cautiously optimistic about the sale of the paper to Glacier Media.

For years, Postmedia has been cutting jobs and sacrificing quality across the chain to service a huge debt load. Glacier appears to be in much better financial shape and has recognized the importance of a quality
product.

“We are heartened by statements Glacier has made in the past about quality journalism,” said Martin O’Hanlon, Director of CWA|SCA Canada. “This is not about union versus management; it’s about doing what’s best for everyone. We believe that investing properly in the newspaper and keeping jobs in the community is good for readers, employees, democracy — and profits.”

O’Hanlon said he will be requesting a meeting with the company soon to discuss improving local news coverage and protecting jobs in Victoria from centralization or outsourcing overseas.

In its annual report in 2009, Glacier lamented the “vicious cycle” many newspapers in Canada have fallen into.

“The demise of many North American newspaper and media companies has in part been self-inflicted,” the company said in the report. “The Internet has been a factor, but the reduction of content and quality through continual cost cutting has played a significant role. It has weakened the product and the value of many North American metropolitan newspapers for readers, which has resulted in reduced effectiveness for advertisers, which has reduced revenues.”

CWA|SCA Canada takes the company at its word and hopes the sale means better days ahead.

In discussing the sale of the paper, Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey claimed that employees hadn’t bought into the company’s “digital first philosophy.” In fact, workers simply objected to the centralization of pagination in Hamilton and ad production in the Philippines. “

We bought into Digital First, we just didn’t buy into shipping our jobs to Manila, Dominican Republic, Hamilton, Calgary, etc.,” said Chris Carolan, president of the Victoria-Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild (CWA|SCA Canada Local 30223).

CWA|SCA Canada is a progressive, democratic union that represents more than 7,000 media workers across the country at the CBC, The Canadian Press, Reuters and metro dailies such as The Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette and Halifax Chronicle Herald.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Martin O’Hanlon
Director, CWA|SCA Canada
613.820.8460
mohanlon@cwa-scacanada.ca

Chris Carolan
President, Victoria-Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild
250.388.7328
vving@vving.ca

Communications Workers of America | CANADA
1050 Baxter Road / Unit 7B • Ottawa ON K2C 3P1
613.820.9777 | 1.877.486.4292
www.CWA-SCAcanada.ca

O’Hanlon, Kirkup sworn in as leaders of national union

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Martin O’Hanlon was sworn in today as Director of CWA Canada although he will not officially begin in the full-time position until Aug. 30.

O’Hanlon, 44, is taking a leave from his regular job as parliamentary editor for The Canadian Press, where he continues until the end of this week.

Arnold Amber, the outgoing Director, conducted the official swearing-in of O’Hanlon and Lois Kirkup, 50, who was acclaimed as Deputy Director in May. The president of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild became Treasurer, also by acclamation, a month earlier at the spring meeting of the National Representative Council. Kirkup will serve in both volunteer positions on the executive until a new treasurer can be elected at the next NRC meeting in April 2012.

O’Hanlon, a member of the Canadian Media Guild who last month was declared the winner in national elections, had been Deputy Director for seven years.

“I am looking forward to working with everyone to make this the most progressive and dynamic union in Canada,” said O’Hanlon.

“I’d also like to pay special tribute to Arnold Amber, who steps down after 16 years at the helm of the union. Arnold has been a strong and visionary leader who built CWA|SCA Canada into what it is today. We are grateful for all he’s done and will welcome his ongoing advice.”

Gazette locks out some production workers

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Source: The Montreal Gazette

 

About 20 full-time and a number of part-time employees who work at The Gazette’s production facility on St. Jacques St. in Notre Dame de Grâce were locked out Sunday night after rejecting the company’s final contract offer.

Employees in four other units affiliated with the Teamsters – pressmen, machinist-electricians, paper handlers and building services – approved new contracts in votes on Sunday.

The main stumbling blocks in negotiations between management and its locked-out workers are staffing, working hours and overtime pay.

Bob Pruden, vice-president of labour relations for Postmedia Network Inc., said the previous contract had minimum staffing provisions that are far beyond what is required today, given the changes in the newspaper industry.

“Everybody is aware of the impact that the Internet and new technology like iPads and so on have had on the newspaper business,” he said. “In terms of our circulation, the number of papers we produce and also the advertising in those papers and the advertising inserts have all declined significantly over the last five years covered by the previous collective agreement,” Pruden said on Monday.

Denis Fournier, negotiator for the Teamsters Local 41M, said he was disappointed with the employer’s decision. “Management agreed to leave a four-day week in place for the workers (in the four other units), while requiring the mailing and plate-making workers to work five days a week,” Fournier said.

The locked-out employees include two active members of the platemakers’ unit, positions the company wants to abolish, and fewer than 20 regular, full-time mailers. There are also a number of full-and part-time substitutes in the mailroom who are assigned their shifts by the union.

The Gazette will continue to publish uninterrupted during the lockout.

O’Hanlon wins national vote to head CWA Canada

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Source: cwa-scacanada.ca

Martin O’Hanlon will be the next Director of CWA Canada after emerging the clear winner in national elections.

O’Hanlon, a member of the Canadian Media Guild, captured 440 votes. His challenger, Ron Carroll, a copy editor at The Gazette and vice-president of the Montreal Newspaper Guild, garnered 167.

“I’d like to thank the members for putting their trust in me to lead the union,” said O’Hanlon, 44, who has been Deputy Director for seven years. “I promise to do my best to build CWA|SCA Canada into the most dynamic and progressive union in Canada. And I will always put the interests of the members above all else.

“A huge thank you to all who helped with my campaign. There are too many names to list here, but I’ll be in touch with everyone to thank them personally.”

Outgoing Director Arnold Amber congratulated O’Hanlon on his successful campaign. “It’s certainly good that we finally have a declared winner. Now we can move ahead.”

The voting period was twice extended due to the postal dispute. Results were originally expected to be announced on June 27, in time for the winner to be sworn in on July 12 at the 73rd convention of the Communications Workers of America held in Las Vegas.

Amber, who remains as Director until O’Hanlon can assume office, will conduct the swearing-in sometime in the next few weeks. O’Hanlon will be arranging for a leave of absence from his position as parliamentary editor for The Canadian Press in Ottawa.

Amber has been Director of the union since its inception as TNG Canada/CWA in 1995. He noted that O’Hanlon “was there from the beginning” as one of the delegates to the founding meeting.

This was the first time that members of CWA Canada directly voted for Director of the union. Prior to 2008, the Director and Deputy were elected by delegates to the National Representative Council meeting. (Lois Kirkup, president of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild, was acclaimed Deputy Director at this year’s meeting in April.)

Some Locals arranged for in-plant voting while others opted to have members vote by mail-in ballot.

The National Elections Committee, comprising Scott Edmonds, Gord Holder and Nigel Sones, who gathered in Ottawa on Saturday for the official tally, reported there were 65 ballots not counted because they did not conform to the rules. They included 30 unsigned return envelopes, four spoiled ballots and one that was challenged. A procedural error in one Local’s in-plant voting led to another 30 ballots not being counted.

 

Martin O’Hanlon Elected Canadian Director

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The National Elections Committee of CWA/SCA Canada announces the  results of the election for the position of Canadian Director.

Martin O’Hanlon: 440 votes
Ron Carroll: 167 votes

Uncounted ballots
Unsigned return envelopes: 30
Spoiled ballots: 4
Challenged ballot: 1
Procedural error by a Local Elections Committee: 30 ballots not counted

Martin O’Hanlon is declared elected as Canadian Director.

Scott Edmonds, Gord Holder, Nigel Sones
National Elections Committee members