As we announced last week, TVOntario is cutting ten Canadian Media Guild jobs as part of its strategy to reduce the overall workforce by up to forty positions this year.

Guild volunteers and staff have been working hard since last week to protect the rights of our members at TVO and Tfo. Here are a few highlights:

? We have filed an “omnibus” grievance regarding the layoffs themselves, alleging that management has not followed the collective agreement in determining which positions (and which people) would be affected. In effect, we are challenging the entire procedure.
? We are able and willing to provide whatever advice and assistance we can to all of our members, whether they have received a notice from TVOntario or not.
? We have made it clear to the media ? and the people of Ontario ? that people are going out the door at TVOntario.

If you have received a notice of redundancy or layoff and are being asked to make a choice (for example, to accept severance pay in return for giving up your recall rights) it would be very useful for you to write the following line on the letter beneath your signature: “Without prejudice or precedent to any position that the Canadian Media Guild may take on this or any other issue”. This will make it clear to management that your union still has the right and the authority to work on your behalf, no matter what you decide to do in the immediate term.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the Guild if you have any questions or concerns. Contact Carol Burtin Fripp (cbf@tvo.org) or George Pyron (gcpyron@tvo.org) or Keith Maskell at the Guild office at keith@cmg.ca, or call the Guild office at 416-591-5333 or 1-800-465-4149.