Dear fellow CMGers:
The decision by our management to ink an audio contract with CBC on the eve of the lockout upset and angered members of the Canadian Media Guild at the public broadcaster and many of you. Reporters and editors at CP/BN objected to being used as virtual scabs, especially against members of their own union.
The Guild relayed our serious misgivings about the situation to CP/BN president Eric Morrison. We sought both clarification of the company’s position and a meeting with him to discuss the issue. He declined to meet with us.
However, human resources manager Paul Woods told us that CP/BN had pursued an audio contract with the CBC for several years and made a purely business and opportunistic decision when the occasion for a sale presented itself. Paul said CP/BN asked CBC to remove any BN identifiers from audio reports, something that did not happen on some occasions. Eric later reaffirmed to CBC the importance of stripping identifiers but the company made it clear there would be no change in the deal with CBC.
The CMG Branch Presidents and Executive members unanimously agree that a strong, visible protest needs to be registered.
CP/BN management needs to know that many of us were deeply offended by the decision to sell BN services to CBC when its managers have taken such aggressive action against fellow Guildsters.
Our locked out colleagues at CBC need to know that Guild members at CP/BN want no part of being scabs.
Finally, it is important to consider how we would feel if we were ever on the sidewalk and our colleagues at CBC were inadvertently put in the position we’re in ? inadvertently siding with management against fellow union members
***Therefore your Branch Council and Executive is asking all CP/BN reporters on Wednesday Sept. 7 to refrain from adding bylines or sign-offs to any stories you do that day.***
If you have any questions or comments, please contact any of the branch representatives below or Kathy at the Guild office or myself.
Sincerely
Colin Perkel; Gillian Livingston; Martin O’Hanlon ? CP/BN Branch Executive
Greg Joyce; Bob Weber; Roger Ward; Sandra Cordon; Pierre Roberge; Michael Tutton; – CP/BN Branch Council