Previously non-unionized workers at APTN have filed to join the Canadian Media Guild.
The union filed with the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) on Thursday after a majority of more than 60 staff signed union cards. These workers are based across the country with the main office in Manitoba.
“By coming together, we strengthen our ability to support one another, advocate for our wellbeing, and create a sustainable future for the people who make APTN possible,” the workers said in their Mission Statement (see full statement below.)
“As a community, we believe every employee deserves healthy and safe working conditions, guidance and support from their managers, the trust and independence to do their best work, and most importantly flexibility to care for their families and communities.”
The Canadian Media Guild already represents a majority of the workers at APTN and is pleased to welcome these others who organized themselves with guidance from CWA Canada organizers and CMG staff representatives.
“We are happy to welcome these talented and determined media workers into the union. They put in so much time and effort to organize themselves around shared issues in the workplace,” said Jane Robertson, national president of the CMG. “When people do that work to organize, they create lasting change for themselves and those who follow.”
The CMG will await the decision of the CIRB over the coming weeks as we work to welcome more members at APTN.
APTN (Aboriginal Peoples Television Network) is a national Indigenous media organization, sharing programming that celebrates the rich diversity of Indigenous Peoples at home and abroad.
The Canadian Media Guild is a democratic trade union representing 6,000 workers in the Canadian media. Our members work at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Société Radio-Canada (CBC/SRC), The Canadian Press, Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP), TVO, TFO, the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN), ZoomerMedia and CKOI Radio Gatineau (Québec). We also represent media freelancers.
Mission Statement for the non-unionized members at APTN
For more than 25 years, APTN has been a national leader in breaking down barriers so Indigenous stories, cultures, and languages can be heard and valued.
As workers at APTN, we are proud to be part of this mission and contribute to it every day. Today, we are recommitting ourselves to that mission with the understanding that the values we champion externally must also be reflected internally.
We are a collective of employees building a respectful, fair, and supportive workplace where every person is empowered to use their voice and know that it will be heard.
Our goal is to unify so that we can use our voices, our talent, and our resources to help shape APTN into a workplace where culture and community are at the heart of the work we do.
As a community, we believe every employee deserves healthy and safe working conditions, guidance and support from their managers, the trust and independence to do their best work, and most importantly flexibility to care for their families and communities.
By coming together, we strengthen our ability to support one another, advocate for our wellbeing, and create a sustainable future for the people who make APTN possible.
We envision a workplace that values collaboration over hierarchy, recognizes the expertise of its employees, supports healthy and flexible ways of working, and ensures decisions are made with transparency and respect.
This is not simply about improving working conditions. It is about building an internal culture that reflects the values APTN has championed for decades: community, resilience, language, relationships, and the power of every voice.