Dear CMG – CWA/SCA Canada members:

Are you tired of constantly feeling that you can’t make ends meet? So am I!

That feeling is why I started actively participating in the TVO branch of CMG. I wanted there to be a voice at the bargaining table that took into account the fact that workers have been squeezed over the past 20 years by an economy that is designed to keep wages low. How do I know this? Because economics and finance are my beats at the current affairs show I work for, The Agenda with Steve Paikin. And because as a single parent, I’m constantly having a hard time keeping my head above water even though I’ve been working my butt off, hitting deadlines, and making great content for 22 years.

The economy doesn’t reward hard work like it used to and it’s time for unions – especially our union – to speak up. The ad-based revenue model of journalism is fundamentally broken, the private sector hasn’t fixed it, and it’s beyond time for workers to have a far more prominent voice in the matter. For that to happen, new leadership is needed at the Communication Workers of America – Canada, and that new leadership is me.

Many of our elections result in empty seats and acclamations (as we’re all well aware of at the CMG local). We need to get a lot more members involved, especially the most vulnerable members: younger people on temporary contacts. Put me to work for you and I will help organize your workplace, and you can help me turn the union into a true 21st-century force.

Since I began actively participating in our union, I’ve been at the bargaining table twice, including right now. I’m currently helping TVO CMGers stand up to Ontario’s PC government, and the results have so far been positive: we’ve managed to get 15 people converted from contract to staff. But there is so much work to be done, and I want to lead the charge to ensure it gets done. Please check out our various social media sites and see the level of participation we’re achieving:

Twitter: @TVO_CMG
Instagram: @TVO_CMG
TikTok: TVO_CMG

I am a collaborator, a communicator, and an organizer. Let’s do this together.

In solidarity,
Meredith Martin
Twitter: @MeredithMartin
TikTok: @MeredithTO