Union Siblings, 

This week, 16 CMG members working at TVO have been informed by the company that they are being laid off. This loss of jobs is disheartening for a branch where approximately 90 members are employed. It’s a hard blow to members with the holiday season around the corner. 

The positions eliminated are in the online news division of TVO. The CMG still has approximatively 40 members working in the news/broadcast sector at TVO. 

CMG’s TVO members have been flexible for several years exceptionally waving their rightfully negotiated conversion rights under their collective agreement with their employer. 

This conversion right allows people hired as temporary employees to gain permanent status after two years, provided the project is ongoing. 

TVO members chose to enforce their collective agreement recently and the employer proceeded to lay off 16 workers. TVO says this is due to a limited number of core permanent positions allotted to the organization, as well as with budgetary constraints and broader restructuring.  

TVO members fought hard and opted to use their right to strike for 12 weeks in 2023 as both parties could not resolve this issue during the last round of negotiations.  

CMG will provide support to members affected by this announcement and all its members support the democratic decision made by the TVO Branch to reject a memorandum of agreement that waived permanency rights for part of the workforce until the next collective agreement was negotiated.  

The members have received their layoff notice and the workforce adjustment process is in progress at TVO. 

These layoffs are especially troubling at a time when we need more, not less, access to quality and reliable information for Canadians.  

In solidarity, 

Annick R. Forest, President, Canadian Media Guild