Week of action: February 13 to 19.

The Canadian Press owners’ demands for wage and benefit cuts are insulting not least because they totally discount the value of our work and the commitment we make to the organization every day. Guild members often go above and beyond the call of duty to get the news out.  And we sometimes skip lunch or work late without claiming overtime. Unfortunately, our dedication can give the company a false sense of what it really takes to get the work done.

The week of February 13 (Monday), we’re asking all Guild members to take their full meal breaks and claim their overtime. Let’s stand together to say “Uh, no” to free work.

If you’re asked to take on an assignment that you know will take you beyond the scheduled end of the workday, speak up! Tell your manager that you’ll do it, but you’ll be claiming overtime. Encourage your colleagues to do the same. While you’re at it, make plans to eat lunch together, away from your desks. It’s good for you; it relieves stress by allowing you to think of something else, even if it’s only for a little while in the middle of your day.

In addition, make sure you’re getting any shift premiums you’re eligible for (i.e. evenings, overnights and weekends). Make sure you claim any calls you’re taking at home, and submit your kilometrage if you’ve been asked to use your car for work. If you’re working overnights, claim your taxi or parking costs. And even if it doesn’t seem like much, make sure you submit receipts for meals if you work three hours beyond the end of your shift or you’re a technician working away from the building.

By signing the last collective agreement, CP management has acknowledged that employees have these rights. Let’s make sure that we’re not giving up anything that the company already knows it should be paying us for!