Proposed May 17, 2000
Adopted by National Executive Committee January 14, 2001
This policy covers Freelancers and other Canadian Media Guild Members not on a regular payroll
In general, CMG is a volunteer run organization and nothing in this policy shall detract from that principle. However, there are occasions and projects which require members to be absent from employment; in such cases it is CMG policy to replace lost income (if the employer is not covering the wages) so that no member will lose money because they are performing such Guild duties. By the same token, no member should gain financially through receiving income replacement.
This policy shall apply to Guild members not on the employer’s regular payroll (e.g. freelancers and specific contract employees) and when they:
1. work on committees which the employer covers wages or the Guild pays income replacement (such as bargaining committees and national grievance committees);
2. perform work authorized from time to time by the National Executive Committee or the management committee.
The guiding principle is that these members shall be entitled to receive income replacement from the Guild when involved in any project for which other members who are full-time employees are paid by the employer or receiving income replacement from the Guild.
Calculation of Income Replacement:
Members who are employed or contracted at the time of the project, and for whom the employer does not pay for their release from duty for whatever reason, will have their income replaced based on the appropriate salary or pro-rata day rate.
Members who are not actively employed or contracted at the time of the project will have their income replaced based on the salary or pro-rata day rate of their most recent employment or contract. This shall be based on the greater of the following options:
1. those who have worked in the previous 12 months shall receive replacement based on the salary or pro-rata day rate of their most recent employment or contract, or:
2. those who have not worked in the previous 12 months due to being on legitimate leave (e.g. disability, family care, study, sabbatical) shall receive remuneration based on the preceding formula adjusted for any general increases in a collective agreement.
3. If either options a. or b. produces a result which the member can show to be substantially below his/her customary remuneration within the jurisdiction of the CMG he/she may produce documentation to be considered in determining whether a higher rate should be paid.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this policy, the minimum hourly rate of remuneration shall be $10.00 per hour. [Note: When the NEC approved salary replacement for the PACT campaign, it set a floor of $10.00/hour. The principle of maintaining a minimum will continue.]
In all cases, the treasurer must approve the rate of remuneration prior to any work being performed. Documentation (pay stubs or contracts) must be supplied.
Members who receive income replacement under this policy shall be entirely responsible for remitting any and all taxes, CPP contributions etc.
No member eligible for income replacement under this policy may receive more than five days income over any seven-day period.
In keeping with collective agreements which include provisions for the employer to pay salaries of members involved in certain specific tasks (e.g.: bargaining and grievance committees), the Guild will urge those employers to honour this policy and pay income replacement to freelance members representing CMG on contractual committees.