THIRD-TERM PRESIDENT LARRY COHEN:

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‘We need to be in the streets as well as at the ballot box’

Source: cwa-scacanada.ca

Today’s tough economy and political attacks demand a “broader, deeper” movement, organizing not just new union members but building alliances that will make it clear where America’s true majority stands, CWA President Larry Cohen said Monday in his convention address. “We need to be in the streets as well as at the ballot box,” Cohen told the 1,600-plus delegates, retirees, family and friends at the 73rd CWA convention. “We need the energy and intensity of Madison, Wisconsin, or Cairo, Egypt. We need to unite with non-labour groups who share our vision of restoring the American Dream for working families.” As history proves, collective bargaining rights are essential to that dream, Cohen said. In both the United States and Canada, as bargaining coverage grew from the 1930s to the 1960s, “we negotiated real improvements in living standards — better health care, better pensions, higher wages and expanding organizing rights, and we expected that our children and grandchildren would have a better life,” he said. But as bargaining rights declined, everything changed. Despite still-growing worker productivity, workers’ wages have stagnated while “CEOs keep getting richer because they are writing the rules,” Cohen said. “Bargaining rights are critical to any functioning democracy,” he said. “And they are critical for a functioning economy.” Drawing rousing cheers from delegates, Cohen unveiled a short new video showing CWA in action with its partners in recent battles. “This is movement building. This is what democracy looks like,” Cohen said.

Postmedia a potential takeover target: RBC

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Source: bnn.ca

While Postmedia’s daily newspaper business continues to face strong headwinds from free dailies and growing online migration, its assets and mix of shareholders make it a potential takeover target, according to a report by RBC Capital Markets.

“Although the timing and/or likelihood of a potential transaction are highly uncertain, we believe investors could realize a takeout premium,” analyst Drew McReynolds said in a note to clients. “Potential strategic buyers could include Torstar, Woodbridge, Gesca and Transcontinental given the opportunities for cost synergies (i.e., corporate, procurement, distribution, content sharing, production etc.), particularly in adjacent and/or overlapping geographies.”

Postmedia is the former newspaper division of Canwest, and includes titles such as the National Post and theMontreal Gazette. Postmedia’s secured creditors took control of the company after Canwest filed for bankruptcy in 2010.

Torstar has previously shown interest in Postmedia—submitting a bid in April 2010 when Canwest LP put itself up for sale. The bid was backed by Fairfax Financial Holdings, which holds an investment in Torstar.

“Although we do not believe a major acquisition is a current priority for Torstar, we view Torstar as a logical buyer for Postmedia Network should priorities change and/or the right opportunity arise,” McReynolds said. “We note that with the completed sale of CTVglobemedia, Torstar is in a much stronger financial position than the company was in April 2010.”

One major stumbling block to a bid by Torstar is the valuation gap between the two companies. RBC says Torstar is currently trading at EV/EBITDA multiple of 4.1 versus Postmedia’s 6.6 valuation.

RBC initiated its coverage on Postmedia on Wednesday with an “underperform” rating and a $14 price target.

Postmedia feels impact of ‘slow and sporadic’ economic recovery, posts Q3 loss

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Source: winnipegfreepress.com

TORONTO – Postmedia Network Canada Corp. lost $3.9 million in its third quarter as the newspaper and digital publisher pulled in less print advertising revenues and had higher expenses.

The owner of the National Post newspaper and other major media properties said the loss amounted to 10 cents per share on $259 million in revenue, mainly from advertising, for the three months ended May 31.

The company said Tuesday that consumer confidence was shaky during the quarter and advertisers responded by holding back.

“I think that we’ve had a couple of quite good months and then you have one bad month. We don’t seem to have any real trend taking place,” Postmedia CEO Paul Godfrey said on a conference call, describing the situation as “choppy.”

Godfrey said national advertising was up, but retail classified ads were down, as retailers dealt with consumers worried a recession could return, and the HST in British Columbia deterred shoppers from making big-ticket purchases.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty out there which I think is creating people to sit on their hands for a while,” he said.

He said Postmedia (TSX:PNC.A), is seeing some signs of improvement in the early weeks of the fourth quarter, but revenue visibility “remains poor.”

Godfrey’s comments echo those made by rival Torstar Corp. (TSX:TS.B). The publisher of the Toronto Star also reported lower print advertising revenues during its first quarter in May, saying it is hard to predict the print advertising environment and the pace of economic recovery.

Year-earlier figures for Postmedia aren’t directly comparable because the newspapers were still part of Canwest, which was undergoing a court-supervised restructuring that saw its television assets go to Shaw Communications (TSX:SJR.B) and its newspaper division going to creditors that helped form Postmedia.

In the third quarter of its 2010 financial year, the Canwest papers recorded a profit of $40.6 million with $270 million of revenue. In the first nine months of its 2010 financial year, the company reported a $94.9-million profit and $811 million in revenues.

For the first nine months of its 2011 financial year, which ended May 31, Postmedia lost $10.6 million or 26 cents per share on $788 million in revenue.

Postmedia, which began trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange last month, recorded an $11-million loss on debt prepayment, versus zero in the same quarter last year.

Godfrey said the company’s team is focused on new approaches for delivering content, and providing solutions for advertisers and marketers, repaying debt and accelerating revenue generating opportunities.

The company owns 11 English-language daily newspapers including the National Post, Vancouver Sun and Ottawa Citizen as well as the Canada.com website, online versions of its daily papers and deal-a-day website SwarmJam.com.

Why physical media still matters

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Source: vancouversun.com

This month, Amazon announced that sales of digital books for the Kindle have surpassed printed books for the first time. At times like these, it feels like everything physical in the world, from DVDs and CDs to paperbacks and board games, is evaporating right before our eyes, turning into invisible and insubstantial digital data stored in the online “cloud”.
Read entire story: vancouversun

Election 2011 CWA-SCA Canada Director / Notice on Extension of Voting Period

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 June 28, 2011

To: CWA/SCA Canada Locals and Guild Activists

From: National Elections Committee

Re: 2011 Election for National Director of CWA/SCA Canada

Fellow members,

Because of uncertainty about the resumption of postal service in Canada following the labour dispute at Canada Post, including when the mail already in the system will be moved, the National Elections Committee of CWA/SCA Canada has decided to extend the voting period for the election for the position of National Director.

Ballots must now be received in the designated post office box by the CLOSE OF BUSINESS at the national office of CWA/SCA Canada in Ottawa on FRIDAY, JULY 22, 2011.

Ballots received by that deadline will be COUNTED on SATURDAY, JULY 23, 2011, followed by the announcement of the election results as well as the seven-day period during which protests of the election results may be submitted.

If you have any questions about this election, contact the National Elections Committee through the national office of CWA/SCA Canada:

Unit 7B – 1050 Baxter Road, Ottawa, ON K2C 3P1

Telephone: 613-820-9777

Toll-free: 1-877-486-4292

Email: info@cwa-scacanada.ca

Le 28 juin 2011

À : locaux du CWA/SCA Canada et militants à la Guilde

Objet : Élection du directeur national du CWA/SCA Canada

Chers membres,

Compte tenu de l’incertitude qui plane quant à la reprise du service postal au Canada dans la foulée du conflit de travail chez Postes Canada, dont le moment où le tri du courrier déjà posté aura lieu, le Comité électoral national du CWA/SCA Canada a décidé de prolonger la période accordée pour soumettre les votes en vue de l’élection d’un nouveau directeur national.

Ainsi, les bulletins doivent avoir été reçus dans les boîtes postales désignées au plus tard À LA FERMETURE DES AFFAIRES du bureau national du CWA/SCA Canada à Ottawa, LE VENDREDI 22 JUILLET 2011.

Le DÉPOUILLEMENT de tous les bulletins reçus à cette date aura lieu LE SAMEDI 23 JUILLET 2011. Le tout sera suivi d’une annonce officielle des résultats ainsi que d’une période de sept jours au cours de laquelle il sera possible de contester lesdits résultats.

Pour toute question à propos des élections, veuillez communiquer avec le Comité électoral national par l’entremise du bureau national du CWA/SCA Canada :

Unité 7B – 1050, Baxter Road, Ottawa (Ontario) K2C 3P1

Téléphone : 613-820-9777

Sans frais : 1-877-486-4292

Courriel : info@cwa-scacanada.ca

The new Leader-Post, a changing newspaper for a changing province

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Source: leaderpost.com/

Change.

For some, it’s threatening and uncomfortable, and simply something to avoid. For others, it’s a thrilling opportunity to try new things, to meet new people and to go new places. Hopefully you’ll agree today’s paper begins to plant the Leader-Post squarely in the latter camp.

Read entire story: leaderpost.com

Kingston campaign aims to restore Whig-Standard’s greatness

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The GreatWhig.ca team launched the campaign at a news conference in Kingston this morning. From left: Martin O’Hanlon, project initiator and CWA Canada deputy director;Kingston writer Jamie Swift; GreatWhig.ca project manager Alec Ross; CWA Canada Director Arnold Amber; and Paul Schliesmann, Whig-Standard reporter and vice-president of the Kingston Typographical Union.

Souurce: cwa-scacanada.ca

CWA Canada hopes Quebecor responds to pressure

It’s a project the size and likes of which CWA Canada has never before undertaken. The mission? To enjoin an entire community in a campaign to pressure a corporate media giant to restore the quality of its daily newspaper.

An advertising blitz that heralds the launch today of the ambitious multi-media campaign is sure to make the Kingston Whig-Standard the talk of the town, which some time ago dubbed its once highly regarded publication the “Sub” Standard. The message to “Make It Great!” will emanate from billboards, transit ads, radio spots, flyers, the GreatWhig.ca website and a Facebook fan page.

Quebecor chief Pierre Karl Péladeau is about to get an earful from disgruntled readers and advertisers who have lamented the newspaper’s rapid decline under his stewardship. They will be sending email messages and signing a petition that calls on Quebecor to “devote the appropriate resources to the Whig-Standard so that Kingston can once again have a newspaper worthy of our great city.”

Martin O’Hanlon, deputy director of CWA Canada, initiated the project last fall and has overseen its development over the past six months. The executive of the Kingston Typographical Union (KTU), which represents Whig employees, heartily endorsed the plan and connected its architects with community leaders and activists who were quick to embrace the campaign.

“This is about fighting the good fight for quality local news and jobs. It’s not about union versus management; it’s about doing what’s best for everyone,” says O’Hanlon.

“We want to convince Quebecor that investing properly in its newspapers and keeping jobs in the community is good for readers, employees, democracy — and profits.”

Paul Schliesmann, a veteran reporter at the newspaper and vice-president of the KTU, says this is a last-ditch effort: “This project gives me the only hope I have left for the Whig-Standard.”

As the campaign material notes, the Whig-Standard used to be one of Canada’s best small-city newspapers. It won national awards for investigative reporting, offered in-depth coverage of Kingston issues and provided a balanced forum for discussion of matters of local and national importance.

In recent years, and particularly under Quebecor ownership, the qualities that once made the Whig-Standard a source of pride for Kingston have dramatically declined. Readers and advertisers keenly feel the loss.

Petitioners, whose message will go to both Péladeau and Ron Laurin, the newspaper’s publisher, will “request that Quebecor devote the appropriate resources to the Whig-Standard so that Kingston can once again have a newspaper worthy of our great city.”

Alec Ross, a long-time activist in Kingston who cares passionately about the Whig’s status, is co-ordinating the campaign for CWA Canada. A local company was contracted to design and construct the website, which features video testimonials from people in the community who describe the impact of Quebecor’s corporate decisions.

Among those weighing in are Rob Baker of the Tragically Hip, Richard Kizell, chair of the University Hospitals Kingston Foundation, professors, business people, politicians, writers and former Whig reporters.

“Generally,” says Ross, “I chose the video subjects because they are thoughtful, engaged and articulate Whig readers. We have a lot of support from prominent Kingstonians who totally sympathize with the cause, but who — for various reasons — declined to do a video.”

Lawrence Scanlan, who used to work at the Whig, recounts the halcyon days and expresses his sadness for what has been lost. He’s one of many dedicated journalists who recognize that a once proud profession has been undermined by a corporate ownership more interested in proselytizing a political ideology than upholding the public’s interest, a newspaper’s traditional role.

Indeed, Quebecor’s Sun Media has spread its right-wing tentacles into its newspapers and broadcast outlets to espouse its agenda and silence voices of opposition. The chain’s newspapers are filled with articles that spread the gospel and barely reflect the communities they purport to cover.

Centralizing of functions such as subscription services and advertising has eliminated scores of jobs at Sun Media publications and disconnected the publications from the communities they are supposed to serve.

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For interviews or more information, contact Martin O’Hanlon (email / 613-867-5090) or Alec Ross (email / 613-572-3182).