It’s more than a week since your bargaining committee told you that it had reached a tentative agreement with the CBC. This new contract will be a living agreement as is the current contract, which allows the parties to work on issues as they come up. This is how the new relationship between the union and the CBC works. The two sides worked hard on resolving problems. But with so many issues having been resolved through the life of the current agreement, this round of bargaining was expeditious. It should be noted that the Corporation did not come to the table seeking any concessions.
The committee is now working on finalizing the details of the agreement for your approval. Many of you have asked many questions. Here are some more details about the tentative agreement that should help answer some of those questions.
Term: This is a 5-year deal. It commences April 1, 2014 and expires March 31, 2019.
Salary: There will be a general salary increase of 1.5% on April 1, 2014 and another on April 1, 2015. For the years 2016 – 2018, there will be re-opener on wages only if the Treasury Board’s allocation for wage increases is more or less than 1.5% per year.
TUGS: The daily rate for Temporary Upgrades (TUGs) will increase to $25.00 from $20.00. The parties also agreed that TUGs may be used as development opportunities and that supervisors and employees should discuss these opportunities, ideally during the PMSD process.
Taxi: The maximum daily taxi subsidy for employees required to travel to/from work when public transit is not available increases from $12.50 to $20.00.
Shift Differential: The minimum for shift differential increases from $4.00 to $7.00.
Northern Language Premium: The Northern Language Premium increases from $800 to $1200 a year.
Parking: The window for the daily parking subsidy for employees required to travel to/from work when public transit is not available increases by a half hour, from 5:30 am to 6:00 am.
Vacation Purchase Plan: You will be able to purchase 2 weeks of additional vacation, up from the current maximum of one week. This plan will be re-named the Purchased Leave Plan.
Benefits for temp or casual employees: The language is being clarified to ensure that temporary employees are added to the benefits plan in a timely way and that they get their benefits properly.
Sales Rep Vehicle Allowance: The requirement that sales rep vehicles be no older than 84 months will be replaced with a requirement that the vehicles be in a condition that is conducive to representing the Corporation.
Hiring and Promotion: Upon request, employees will be provided with the reason why they are not the successful applicant for a job.
Workforce Adjustment: Laid-off employees who are recalled to a job in a lower pay band will retain the right to recall to their former pay band.
Training: The Corporation commits to continuous employee learning via a multitude of methods.
Senior Reporter Classification: There is a new classification titled Senior Reporter at the Band 12 level. It encompasses the duties of National Reporter but expands to include work of this calibre performed at a local level (e.g., consistently filing the most important stories on priority shows and platforms, promotion as the face (publicity) of a show, expertise in a priority area). A new job description will be posted in the final ratification information package. Management will be doing a slotting process which will be reviewed with the union in December.
Senior and Executive Producers: These positions are now real job classifications rather than assignments. This means that vacancies will be posted. They will be placed in Band 13. The premiums of five and ten per cent which senior and executive producers now respectively receive will be added to their base salary and will be pensionable.
Shift Concerns: New provision that encourages employees and supervisors to discuss concerns about shifts.
New Work Methods and Practices: New provision that the local level has a
role to play in the application of Article 50 (when CBC introduces changes in the way it operates, such as English service’s consolidation of design in Winnipeg).
Ad Rems: The Corporation commits to fairness, consistency and transparent communications.
Work on finalizing the information package which will be posted prior to the ratification vote is continuing. Bargaining committee members will visit locations in January and the ratification vote will be held early in the New Year.
Your CMG bargaining committee:
Michael D’Souza
Wil Fundal
Allan Gofenko
Elaine Janes
Marianne Malo Chenard
Harry Mesh
Marc-Philippe Laurin, CBC Branch President
Dan Oldfield, Senior Staff Representative
Glenn Gray, Staff Representative and Lead Negotiator