I am pleased to announce that we are now accepting applications for the John Belcarz and Dan Zeidler post-secondary education/training memorial scholarships. Two scholarships of $1,000 each are available.
The accompanying attachments contain a poster and application form in both English and French (also available on our website: http://www.cwa-scacanada.ca. Please circulate this information to your members.
In solidarity,
Martin O’Hanlon
Director, CWA/SCA Canada
The striking Saint John seven announced today they are expanding their fight for a fair deal with their employer, Halifax-based Maritime Broadcasting System. They are asking listeners and advertisers of the Halifax MBS Radio stations, FX 101.9 and HAL-FM, to boycott the stations until the strikers reach a deal with the company.
Click link to read the entire story
FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT IN 2013!
By Martin O’Hanlon
Director, CWA Canada
Download PDF
I made a New Year’s resolution for 2013.
Every day when I get up, I am now asking myself: “What can I do today to make life better for Canadians and make this a better country.”
Not surprisingly, the answer has yet to be: “Cut wages, layoff workers or send jobs overseas.”
However, that’s exactly the answer many businesses choose – and conservatives endorse – in their quest for higher profits.
These are the same people who – as they ruin local economies, devastate workers’ lives, and slash away at the Middle Class – have the audacity to scapegoat unions for what’s wrong with the economy, despite the fact that only a minority of workers belong to a union.
Over the next year, CWA Canada will continue to fight the good fight by standing up and speaking out for quality jobs and quality journalism. We will do that at the bargaining table, through talks with employers, with press releases, and by building coalitions.
2011 saw the rise of “Occupy” and 2012 brought us “Idle No More.” These grassroots movements show that a great many people are fed up with the social and economic injustice in our society and, more importantly, they’re willing to do something about it. We need to support that. We will work with the labour movement, community groups and other progressive organizations to promote the cause of the 99%, stop further job cuts and improve wages.
We enter 2013 full of hope that the worst is over for the media industry and optimistic that the new year will bring more jobs and better journalism.
But, of course, hope and optimism don’t bring change – that takes effort. The challenge will be persuading our employers to invest in a quality product and grow their businesses rather than keep trimming jobs and cutting costs.
One fact has become painfully obvious over the last decade of media slash-and-burn economics: cost-cutting saves money in the short-term, but results in declining revenue in the long-term as readers, listeners and viewers tune out.
Another key challenge for 2103 will be political. As a leader who represents thousands of journalists, I have said repeatedly that I cannot support one political party over another. But that doesn’t mean we must sit idly by and watch injustice or ignore attacks on the interests of our members, the 99%, and democracy.
When a government, political party or any group attacks the common good, we will stand up, speak out and fight back. That’s why we spoke out against the Harper Conservatives when the introduced Bill C-377 – an intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and ideologically motivated piece of rubbish that will cost taxpayers millions of dollars a year to administer and yield no benefit to anyone. Its sole aim is to target unions, tie them up with red tape, and suck out financial and other information for right-wing propaganda.
We will keep up the fight against C-377 and support a court challenge when it receives Royal Assent.
We will also build on our efforts to protect the CBC from further funding cuts – through grassroots campaigns and other actions – so that Canadian public broadcasting can survive and thrive.
And we will step up pressure on the Conservative government to abandon its ideological and mean-spirited plan to push back old age pension benefits until age 67 – a move that steals money from our pockets and will force thousands of Canadians to delay their retirements.
The challenges ahead are many, the hurdles high.
We have two options. We can lie down and hope that a rump Middle Class is still around in a generation.
Or we can fight back!
Let’s work together to protect jobs, defend journalism, improve wages and make this country a better place for all Canadians.
Let’s fight the good fight. Together.
Dear CWA Canada member,
As you may know, Postmedia is seeking temporary funding relief from the Ontario government to ease its pension plan payments. The union, as your legal bargaining agent, is entitled to object to that relief and will be seeking your feedback on how to proceed. Here are some questions and answers that may help you make an informed decision. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact your Local president.
All the best,
Martin
Martin O’Hanlon
Director, CWA/SCA Canada
Questions and Answers regarding pension – Download this in PDF
What is the status of the Postmedia Network Inc. Retirement Plan?
As of Dec. 31, 2011 (the latest valuation) the plan was in a serious deficit position with a total solvency deficiency of $126 million and a transfer ratio of 72%, meaning that currently it could only pay out 72 cents for every $1 of benefit entitlement.
What would I get if the plan wound up today?
While the plan is only funded at a 72% level, Ontario members receive a level of protection under Ontario’s Pension Benefit Guarantee Fund. Based on the funded position of the plan, Ontario members would likely receive more than 80% of the value of their benefit entitlement.
Why is the plan under-funded?
The main reason for the solvency deficit is that long-term interest rates are exceptionally low. Since 2000, rates have decreased from 6% to 2.5% on long-term federal government bonds and from 4% to 0.3% on real return bonds used in indexed pension plans. This reduces investment returns, but the benefits are not accordingly adjusted. The higher the returns, the lower the capital needed to be able to pay the pensions when employees retire.
How much is Postmedia paying into the pension plan?
The company’s normal annual contribution to the plan is estimated at $8.3 million for 2013. But due to the solvency deficiency, Ontario regulations require that it pay an additional $14.6 million in 2013. That’s a total of $23 million.
Are other companies in a similar situation?
Yes. A majority of Defined Benefit pension plans are under-funded.
What will happen long-term?
If long-term bond rates rise, the situation will be much better, reducing Postmedia’s annual payments by millions of dollars and easing the problem. If bond rates do not rise, Postmedia will have to have a plan in place to deal with the situation.
What is Postmedia asking for?
The Ontario government recently passed new solvency funding relief regulations which make it easier for companies to fund pension deficiencies. Postmedia is asking for two forms of temporary relief:
1) Consolidate existing solvency payment schedules into a new five-year schedule. This requires only notice to members.
2) Extend solvency payment schedule to 10 years from the current five years. This would allow Postmedia to pay down the solvency deficit over a longer time and would save the company about $3 million a year.
What say do I have?
As a plan member, you, through the union, have a say in whether the extended payment schedule is approved. If 1/3 of plan members or 1/3 of former plan members or 1/3 of retired members object in writing by Dec. 31, 2012, the extension will not be granted. In the case of CWA Canada members, the union will make a decision on whether to object based on the will of the members, either by vote or general meeting or other means.
What does CWA Canada think about the issue?
The union’s No. 1 concern is doing what’s best for plan members. We realize that the solvency deficit is huge and that the company’s payments are very heavy. The $3 million in relief Postmedia is seeking is relatively modest in relation to the $126 million total deficiency. Our preference is to work with the company and come to terms that ease Postmedia’s burden while protecting members’ interests. We are seeking more information from the company and asking for certain commitments, including the creation of a pension advisory board and seats on that board for current and retired members so that members are better informed about the plan and have a voice in the process.
What happens if the temporary funding relief is granted?
This creates an additional risk for plan members in that, under the new 10-year schedule, if the plan was wound up in less than 10 years, the plan would have a bigger deficiency than under the old five-year schedule, and benefits would be lower.
What happens if it is rejected?
Postmedia has acknowledged that rejection of the changes — and not receiving the $3 million in annual relief — would not push it into bankruptcy. However, the company has also indicated it would likely seek to change the pension plan, perhaps by asking for greater employee contributions. In other words, the company will be looking to find savings another way if the relief is not granted.
Fifteen partial college scholarships of $3,000 each are being offered for the 2013-2014 school year. Winners, selected in a lottery drawing, also will receive second-year scholarships of the same amount contingent upon satisfactory academic accomplishment. Part-time students, less than 12 credits, will receive half of the scholarship monies.
The Canadian Association of Journalists runs an annual awards program recognizing the best in Canadian journalism, with a particular focus on journalism that is investigative in nature. Entries are welcome from any practising journalist whose work has been published or broadcast in Canada. A call for entries is usually issued in December-January, with a deadline in late January or early February. Once judging is complete, a list of the finalists in each category is released. The winning entry in each category is announced as part of the banquet during the annual conference each spring. For more information on the categories and lists of previous winners. Please click this link for more information about this award.
Source: theglobeandmail.com
Postmedia Network Inc. is asking current and former employees to help the embattled newspaper publisher save some millions of dollars a year by extending the amount of time the company has to top up their pension fund.
The company – which publishes such metropolitan titles such as the National Post, Ottawa Citizen and Calgary Herald – is taking advantage of rules that were quietly implemented Nov. 1 in Ontario that allow companies incorporated in the province to fully fund their pension shortfalls in 10 years rather than five.
Click the link to read the entire story @theglobeandmail.com
The David S. Barr Award, for high school and college journalists, recognizes reporting that promotes issues of importance to working people and contributes to the pursuit of justice and fairness. The Barr Award honors a long-time Guild attorney and mentor. More information can be found on our Award/Scholarship page