Dear Colleagues and fellow CMGers:

A budget creeping ever closer to the $6-million mark was approved by your National Executive Committee over the weekend of Nov. 4-5. If projections are accurate, we should end 2007 at break even ? and that’s after meeting our commitment to rebuilding the Guild’s defence fund after the lockout at the CBC last year.

Some bigger ticket items expected in the coming year include a move to new (bigger) space for our national office staff who service our growing union. We also approved another sizable commitment to education. I urge you to take one of the excellent courses your union offers. Feedback from those who have done so has been very positive.

We are also refining a pair of new spending policies to meet recommendations made by elected Guild trustees and to ensure the already high level of accountability when it comes to spending your dues is further enhanced.

Your executive approved the hiring of a new staff member for the national office ? a position designated as an associate staff representative. Jean Broughton, who is fully bilingual, should prove a valuable addition to current staff and help our union administration function even more effectively. We welcome her aboard.

Missing from the weekend meeting was long-time Guild activist Arnold Amber, who has resigned as CBC branch president to take on full-time director duties at our parent union, TNG Canada. Although a strong CBC branch advocate, Arnold was always a great friend of the CP/BN branch. He will be missed at CMG but we wish him well.

Thanks to CP/BN Ontario’s Lauren La Rose for her help on our new member kits. Put together by Brendan Elliott, our national director responsible for new members, these will be available in the next few weeks and should go a long way toward making those new to the Guild feel more oriented and welcome.

Finally, please visit the revamped Guild website (www.cmg.ca) regularly for contact information and the latest news about your union and its many activities.

Colin Perkel
CP/BN national president
Canadian Media Guild