The Guild’s Canadian Press branch held a Branch Executive Council meeting in Toronto on October 29, to talk about the current state of the company as well as the upcoming round of bargaining which will begin soon. Representatives from every CP bureau across the country were in attendance.

It’s no secret that the financial situation of Canadian Press Enterprises is serious. The recent Voluntary Departure Program (VDP) will result in a small reduction in staff, and a number of management positions have also been cut. Management still expects that it will be necessary to implement some involuntary staff reductions. At this point no one knows with any degree of certainty what the target figure is in terms of savings; as a result it’s impossible to even guess how many jobs, departments or services might be affected. The Guild will continue to push for more information, and we’ll share what we get.

We need to set up our bargaining committee quickly. The first days of face-to-face meetings have been set for the end of November. If you’re interested in participating, please contact me, your location unit president or Keith Maskell immediately. We’re planning to have a relatively small committee of three or four people, plus Keith in his role as lead negotiator. Previous experience isn’t absolutely necessary, but it’s important to be a quick study, to think critically and clearly and to be articulate. Given the nature of our membership and our day jobs, we should be awash in well-qualified candidates.

I will be holding membership meetings in your location over the next few weeks. As always, if you have questions at any time, please contact me or Keith.

Terry Pedwell
CP Branch President