Dave Rogers Memorial Scholarship – 2019

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In 2019, the ONG is funding another scholarship in

the name of retired Ottawa Citizen reporter Dave Rogers. Dave Rogers and his wife, Merrill Gleddie, were slain in Ottawa in late 2016.

The 2018 Dave Rogers Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Liam Scanlan, son of Wayne Scanlan.

What you need to know:
1. The scholarship is open to members in good standing of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild, CWA Canada Local 30205, their children, grandchildren, spouse/partner.

2. Applicants must be enrolled or about to enter a full-time program at a government-recognized institution of higher learning or training (college, CEGEP, university or technical/vocational institute) and working towards a degree, diploma or certificate. Applicants will have to provide proof of registration before the scholarship money is paid.

3. There are no restrictions on the program of study or discipline selected by the applicant.

4. Applicants must be prepared to accept the scholarship in the year in which it is awarded; no deferrals are allowed.

5. Applications for the scholarship must be submitted in writing to the ONG office: Unit 300, 2200 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa, ON, K2E 6Z9. Scanned applications may also be emailed to ong@cwa-scacanada.ca

6. The scholarship will be awarded by random draw shortly after the deadline has passed.

ONG Application for Dave Rogers Memorial Scholarship 2019

Nomination period open for national election at CWA Canada

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This is a national election year for CWA Canada and the nomination period is now open for two senior leadership positions.

All members are eligible to run for office or nominate someone as a candidate for President and/or Vice-President, the posts currently held by Martin O’Hanlon and Lois Kirkup, respectively.

The deadline for submitting nominations is noon ET on Thursday, May 23.

If an election is required, a campaign and voting period would immediately follow, during which each union Local can decide how it wants to conduct the vote.

The president of CWA Canada, which is a full-time paid position, and the vice-president serve four-year terms. (Under the Constitution, the president must reside in the Ottawa area.)

O’Hanlon and Kirkup were first elected to the two top leadership positions in 2011. Both won by acclamation in 2015.

PDF downloads: Nomination Form | Election Rules

Completed forms are to be sent to:

National Election Committee
CWA Canada, 301 – 2200 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa ON K2E 6Z9
Email: info@cwa-scacanada.ca
(Emailed forms must be backed up by signed originals sent by regular mail.)

100th Anniversary of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike

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The Ottawa and District Labour Council’s Education Committee along with its Human Rights Committee has been working closely together on activities related to the 100th Anniversary of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike.

Across Canada, numerous unions, labour councils and others have also committed to this 100thanniversary recognition that helped define Canada’s labour movement.

We are pleased to announce “United in Song” “An event to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1919 Winnipeg General Strike” taking place at the Bronson Centre Theatre on May 30, 2019 at 7:00pm.

We have attached a poster of this exciting event and look forward to an evening that promises to recognize, remember and promote the incredible sacrifices and courage of workers during a time in Canadian history we must always ensure is never forgotten.

In solidarity,

Renford Thomas
Chair – Human Rights Committee

Phil Lillies
Chair- Education Committee

In solidarity,

Jennifer Moore

ODLC Administration

World Press Freedom Day Message from CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon

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From left: CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon joined members Mike Blanchfield (Canadian Press), Nathalie Bastien (CBC), Angie Bonenfant (CBC), and Kristy Kirkup (CP), at a luncheon held by the Canadian Committee for World Press Freedom at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa.

On this day, we commit to continuing the fight to protect freedom of the press in the face of a growing threat around the globe.

We’ve long watched countries such as Saudi Arabia, China, Iran and Cuba strictly limit what journalists can report. But in recent years, we’ve seen the rise of demagogues and ultra-conservative parties in formerly progressive countries like Poland, Hungary, Turkey and the Philippines, who are openly hostile to the media. And then there’s the U.S., where the ugliness of Trump and his Republican enablers is a troubling threat.

Journalism is a pillar of democracy and attacks on the media are attacks on our democratic systems. 

It is vital that progressive, moderate, responsible countries like Canada speak out publicly whenever freedom of the press is under attack, that we pressure other countries diplomatically to do better, and that we punish the worst offenders, through economic sanctions if necessary.

Restricting journalists’ rights is one thing, but in many countries, the situation is even more dire. 

At least 94 media workers were killed in 2018, according to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and nine out of 10 cases remain unpunished. Impunity reigns. Hundreds of journalists are imprisoned and, on a daily basis, media workers are attacked, beaten, detained, harassed, and threatened. 

There are growing threats to digital safety with cyber-attacks, hacking and online harassment – especially of women journalists – all creating a safety crisis for news professionals. 

Back in the fall, I spoke to a Senate committee on behalf of the IFJ about the growing threat to press freedom around the world and the need for a safety convention. We are working with the IFJ in pushing for an international Convention on the Safety of Journalists and Media Professionals, which we have asked the Canadian government to support.

Even in Canada, we must stay vigilant.

Last year, we saw Radio-Canada reporter Antoine Trépanier arrested by Gatineau police simply for doing his job and asking questions – based on a frivolous harassment complaint by someone who didn’t like what he was reporting. The case was dropped, but it should never have happened.

Also last year, a judge ordered Radio-Canada journalist Marie-Maude Denis to reveal her source in a corruption trial, a case that is now going to the Supreme Court.

And of course, the Supreme Court ruled last fall that VICE Media reporter Ben Makuch must hand over material he gathered about an accused ISIS fighter. CWA Canada was an intervener in that case.

Let’s be clear: The media is not — nor should it ever be — an arm of the state. As journalists, we must fight any attempt by anyone, especially authorities, to interfere with freedom of the press.

We will continue the fight for press freedom. It’s a fight we can’t afford to lose. As journalism goes, so goes democracy.

NRC NOTEBOOK

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Delegates gathered at a Windsor hotel

Delegates gathered at a Windsor hotel April 26-27 for the annual National Representative Council meeting. (Photo: Ryan James Frith)

 

Delegates hear about fight for quality journalism, strong unions

Delegates from locals across the country gathered in Windsor last weekend for the annual meeting of the National Representative Council, the governing body of CWA Canada.

President Martin O’Hanlon said the overriding theme this year was that the media union would continue to fight for quality jobs, quality journalism and press freedom.

Chris Shelton, president of the international Communications Workers of America (CWA), told delegates they needed to heed what was happening in the United States, where the Trump administration is attacking labour unions and workers’ rights. He said CWA Canada members need to fight back before it’s too late.

“We can’t let politicians and corporations keep turning up the heat on our trade union movement,” said Shelton. “We must fight now, while in Canada we still represent 15 per cent of the private-sector workforce. We must expand our presence and not let our gains be rolled back.”

Bernie Lunzer, president of The NewsGuild-CWA, said they were focused on developing strategies for building on recent organizing success in newsrooms across North America and making the media union stronger.

By-election brings two changes to executive 

There were changes made to the CWA Canada executive ranks as a result of a by-election that became necessary with the resignation earlier this year of the Secretary, John Rufh.

Mary-Ann Barr was acclaimed to the position and will serve out the remaining 12 months of the three-year term. Barr is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Media & Communications Workers of Alberta (Local 30400). The recently retired journalist worked for the Red Deer Advocate.

There were two candidates to replace Barr as a Member at Large on the executive. Willy Palov, president of the Halifax Typographical Union (Local 30130), emerged the winner of that election. A journalist as well, he works at the daily Chronicle Herald in Halifax, N.S. 

Scholarship winners wrote about social justice, labour movement

Leeanne Lyons and Genya Kleiner penned essays that put them into the winners’ circle for this year’s $1,000 John Belcarz & Dan Zeidler Memorial Scholarships.

Both are related to members of the Canadian Media Guild (CWA Canada Local 30213).

Lyons, the spouse of Liam Britten, who works at CBC/Radio-Canada in Vancouver, will be attending Dalhousie University’s School of Social Work. She wrote about the need to achieve a more socially just nation.

Kleiner’s essay looks at similarities between current and historical working conditions to explain why the labour movement is still important to Canadians. She is the daughter of Alison Motluk, a member of the Canadian Media Guild’s Freelance branch. 

Due to a large number of entries, the judges awarded Honourable Mentions for essays submitted by Ella McIlroy and Faith Powell. McIlroy is the daughter of Andrew Duffy, a journalist at The Ottawa Citizen and member of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild (Local 30205). Powell is the daughter of David Powell, who works in advertising at The Gazette and is a member of the Montreal Newspaper Guild (Local 30111).

========================  LINKS TO ESSAYS ===============

need to achieve a more socially just nation

https://cwacanada.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/1904_essay_lyons.pdf

labour movement is still important to Canadians

https://cwacanada.files.wordpress.com/2019/05/1904_essay_kleiner.pdf

CMG members vote 80% to ratify new deal with CBC

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There was a lot to update in a collective agreement that had not changed substantially in 10 years

CBC workers who are represented by CWA Canada through its largest Local, the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), have voted 80 per cent in favour of ratifying a new collective agreement with the public broadcaster.

The five-year deal contains wage increases of 1.5 per cent this year and next for the 4,300 employees across the country (outside Quebec and Moncton, N.B.) who are covered by the contract. Increases in the final three years of the agreement will be pegged to the Treasury Board rate that applies to unionized federal government employees.

More than 1,200 CMG members took part this week in online voting on the tentative agreement, which comes into effect on April 1. Official results released today show 977 in favour and 241 against.

Jonathan Spence, president of the Guild’s CBC branch, said there are several improvements with this deal. These include allowances for members in Canada’s North and those who do out-of-country work; relocation subsidies; and better terms for temporary workers to convert to permanent status.

“We’ve spent the better part of six months bargaining this agreement,” said Spence. “There was a lot to update in an agreement that had not changed substantially in the last 10 years, in an industry that has significantly shifted.”

CMG President Kamala Rao said, “Our bargaining team brought a great deal of goodwill and focus to the table. Members at CBC/Radio-Canada believe in the value of our work at the public broadcaster and we’ve succeeded in raising the floor for everyone who works there.”

CBC staff who work in Northern and isolated locations will see significant gains in their paycheques — in some cases as much as $20,000 annually — as a special allowance moves from 40 to 100 per cent of the rate paid to federal employees.

Spence said this amounts to $1 million in new spending by the CBC and represents a “real commitment … to improving working conditions in the North.”

Many years of a stagnant allowance meant CMG members were struggling with basic costs like housing and food. The beefed-up pay is expected to also improve employee retention and, in turn, help with workload issues.

Another area in which the CMG made significant strides involves temporary employment and precarious work.

The agreement includes a commitment to create 41 new permanent jobs, which will be distributed across the country and concentrated in news, radio and regional stations. Some of those new jobs will be as a result of conversion from temporary to permanent status.

The team also negotiated freelance rate increases in line with the across-the-board wage increases for other members. In addition, there will now be more clarity to distinguish between the various types of freelance engagements.

Other provisions of the agreement include:

  •  For the first time, members will have access to a new program of conditions when they take a position outside of Canada. It also applies to foreign correspondents.
  •  There is now a fair and transparent approach to covering the costs of moving when members are asked to relocate within CBC/SRC.
  •  Employees will not be required to use their own phones or tablets to perform work. If a mobile device is needed to do the job, it will be provided.
  •  Confirmation that CBC employees are entitled to credit for their work, on every platform, where feasible and reasonable to provide it.
  •  Union and management will conduct a joint review of compensation for maintenance and IT workers. There could be adjustments if it’s determined they are paid less than market rates.

A joint union-management committee is to meet this spring to review pension and benefit plans, which cover all CBC employees. Up for renewal is a 10-year-old agreement on pension surplus sharing and a benefits fund that expires in 2019.

Two vying for presidency of NewsGuild-CWA in spring election

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President Bernie Lunzer chaired the NewsGuild’s 80th Sector Conference held in Florida at the end of January.

An activist with a new Local has emerged as challenger for leadership of The NewsGuild (TNG) that will be decided in a spring election in which all members of CWA Canada are eligible to vote.

Jon Schleuss, 31, is running against President Bernie Lunzer, 61, who has held the position since 2008. 

TNG, a sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), is affiliated with, but has no involvement in governance of the autonomous Canadian union. (However, CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon is a voting member of the TNG executive board.)

Each CWA Canada Local will determine whether ballots are cast in person on location or by mail during the April 10-15 election period.

The two candidates were nominated at TNG’s 80th Sector Conference held in Florida at the end of January. Attending as a guest, Schleuss became a TNG member in good standing immediately prior to the start of the conference.

Jon Schleuss, 31, is running against President Bernie Lunzer, 61

Schleuss was a key player in the successful 2017 campaign to organize editorial employees at the famously anti-union Los Angeles Times, where he has worked as a data and graphics reporter since 2013. 

Lunzer — who worked at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for 10 years, then as administrative officer of the Minnesota Guild from 1989 to 1995, when he became TNG’s secretary-treasurer — is counting on that lengthy experience in his bid for re-election.

On his campaign website (BuildingTheGuild.org), Lunzer says that he and his team have “propelled the Guild to the highest level of organizing in years and have bargained strong contracts for new members.” 

In a speech at the sector conference, Lunzer said he would continue to fight within CWA for resources to double organizing efforts, which have resulted in adding more than 2,700 members in 51 workplaces since 2015.

Speaking at the same conference, Schleuss acknowledged that “I clearly have a lot to learn, but I think that’s healthy. When we started the movement in Los Angeles two years ago, we had a lot to learn.”

According to his campaign website (JonForPresident.com), Schleuss is running for TNG’s top office “because we need a modern, energized and more democratic union that will protect our members, strengthen our contracts and grow our numbers — even as we meet the challenges of the rapidly changing media landscape.”

Schleuss, who became online editor at the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in 2009, later worked part-time as a reporter and weekend host at an NPR station. In addition to his current work at the Times, he serves as an adjunct professor of journalism at the University of Southern California.

CWA Canada members who want more information or have questions about the election process should speak with their Local’s executive.

=========================

candidates were nominated

http://www.newsguild.org/mediaguild3/contested-race-emerges-in-election-of-tng-cwa-president/

organize editorial employees at the famously anti-union Los Angeles Times

https://www.poynter.org/business-work/2018/los-angeles-times-newsroom-votes-to-go-union-amid-growing-corporate-tumult/

BuildingTheGuild.org

JonForPresident.com