Employees at three private radio stations in Saint-John NB have been attempting to bargain a first collective agreement since last October, soon after they voted to join the Canadian Media Guild. The employer is Maritime Broadcasting System, which owns radio stations throughout the Maritimes.
This week, the Guild filed a request with the federal labour minister for the appointment of a conciliator. We expect an officer to be appointed within a couple of weeks and hope to reach a first agreement with their assistance.
At the start of talks in October, the union tabled more than 20 proposals that the company all but ignored until mid-December. The company is offering even less than what employees already have and significantly less than the company has agreed to in other collective agreements. In an effort to close the gap, employees tabled new proposals that the management side rejected even before taking the time to read them.
“This is a remarkable show of bad faith and contempt for the employees that effectively keep three stations on the air,” says CMG senior staff representative Dan Oldfield. “The lack of response by the employer and the lack of respect shown for the process leave us with little choice but to move the process along with the help of the federal labour ministry. We are prepared to take all necessary steps to achieve a fair collective agreement.”
For more information, contact the Guild (info@cmg.ca) at 1-800-465-4149 or 416-591-5333.