Our co-workers serving on CMG committees at CBC have been working hard to improve working conditions in all our workplaces.
Thank you to the many of you who have shared your concerns and ideas with committee members.
Please read below a few of our progress reports on the issues you have told us are important to you – and continue to share your thoughts with committee members.
Kim Trynacity,
President, CBC/Radio-Canada Branch, Canadian Media Guild (CMG)
NATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY COMMITTEE
Programs
The information regarding COVID-19 changes quickly. The Guild has stressed the importance for the Corporation to proactively share information with unions and good communication with employees.
The Hazard Prevention of Psychological Injuries Policy is still being worked on. A gap assessment has been completed. A Harassment and Violence in the Workplace Policy that complies with Bill C-65 (harassment and violence) is also in the works; it’s on track to be released in 2020.
A subcommittee will be set up to deal with issues arising from the proposed Policy on Cannabis and Alcohol Use in the workplace. The unions are raising serious concerns regarding the wording.
A Teleworking Policy is also being worked on, while management considers questions around compensation, approval and logistics. The policy is supposed to be ready by mid-May. Union representatives asked for this work to be a priority because of COVID-19.
Guidelines and procedures
A program regarding Risk Assessment is in the works. There needs to be better implementation at the local level. Updated guidelines around Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) should have been released in early April.
Pending items
Health and Safety representatives are being recruited in satellite offices. Health and Safety statistics for 2019 should be coming in June. Risk assessments for VSAT Vehicles have been updated and are awaiting union approval.
A Health and Safety Committee needs to be chosen for the Tokyo Olympics.
A campaign around reducing noise and protecting your hearing is proposed for the fall, the idea is supported by employers and unions.
Discussions continue around creating a cyber-intimidation policy. Different CBC and Radio-Canada committees are looking at the issue. The Guild wants it to be a priority.
The tidy desk initiative to encourage cleanliness in shared work areas continues.
Updates to the corporate health and safety policy are almost completed. Union representatives asked to see a copy. A PPE Standardization draft policy is coming soon.
No Health and Safety recommendations came out of the debrief of the St. John’s winter storm.
Training
Completion rates for mandatory health and safety training are improving. All new staff are taking the courses. Health and Safety Committee training courses have been completed at the local level (item now closed). Updating training for drivers is still in progress. A fleet representative is asked to attend the next meeting. The ergonomics training course has been updated (item now closed).
Transmission Subcommittee Update
First Aid sessions are rolling out across the country and Wilderness First Aid training is also offered. Avalanche Risk sessions are coming in the next fiscal period.
Wil Fundal – Prince George
Andrew Shipley – Halifax
Josée St-Onge – Edmonton
Olivier Roy – CMG Staff Representative
CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON STAFF BENEFITS (CCSB)
New members of Consultative Committee on Staff Benefits
Since the CMG elections in December, a new CCSB has been appointed to continue the critical work of overseeing CBC’s supplementary health care plan (SHCP) (prescription drugs, dental care, vision, etc.), including the Group RRSP, Insurance plans, health related leaves (LTD) and gratuities. Your CCSB members are Kim Trynacity, Nola Keeler, Vik Adhopia, Murray Cullen, Nathalie Bastien and CMG staff Rep Olivier Roy.
The virtual doctor is in
In this period of limited access to routine medical care, the CCSB is pleased to announce that members will now have quick access to a new national virtual healthcare network called Dialogue. You will be able to chat live with a registered nurse or see a physician based in Canada via secure video consultation, whether to diagnose a wide variety of conditions, provide medical advice, order tests, write a prescription or make a referral to a specialist if required.
Dialogue is available to all employees (regardless of their status) and their dependents. To learn more, go to www.dialogue.co/canada-life-cbc. Create your account using your employee ID # and the code that has been provided to you as the Canada Life Policy ID. Dialogue is funded by your CMG and other CCSB partners on a temporary basis.
Free home delivery of prescriptions in this time of physical distancing
Did you know CMG members enjoy free membership to COSTCO online pharmacies which deliver prescriptions to your home for free? No existing COSTCO membership is required and you don’t ever have to visit a COSTCO. COSTCO also waives the $5 deductible/co-pay, so there is no out-of-pocket cost for your medication. You don’t have to get new prescriptions from your doctor to make the switch or even talk to your existing pharmacy. COSTCO’s prescription fees are lower than other retailers which keeps our plan costs down. Sign up online to transfer your current prescriptions over to Costco: CostcoPharmacy.ca. Use plan name and number that have been provided to you.
Health care plan costs continue to rise
2019 saw our supplemental health care plan costs rise by an unusually high 9.5% from the previous year, leaving the plan with a deficit (the first in several years) of $108,801. However this money was recouped from our Health Care Fund which is a “rainy day” account set aside by the union membership and the employer for these unexpected plan costs. The supplemental health care plan costs an average of $3,070 per employee for 2019 compared to $2,312.54 in 2013.
NATIONAL GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE
Through abbreviated, but well-focused deliberations, the National Grievance Committee held a virtual meeting recently where it ploughed through 48 active, parked or new grievances.
We also closed a few cases that have been on the books for years.
Work continues between meetings however, to reach settlements, or advance preparation for arbitration.
New cases relate to termination, excessive discipline, conversion of temporary to permanent employment status, and wages withheld for the health surplus sharing agreement reached in 2009.
Your NGC members referred three new cases to arbitration.
Kim Trynacity – CBC Branch President
Bob Sharpe – (CBC Branch Vice President) – St. John’s
Carmen Gutierrez – Vancouver
Pierre Millette – Ottawa
Brent Cousland – Toronto
Enrico DiFruscio – CMG Staff Rep
JOINT EMPLOYMENT EQUITY (JEED/JEDI)
Overall, workforce diversity at CBC is good, but needs improvements in key areas. Specifically, women of colour remain underrepresented across the board, and there are huge diversity gaps in the executive, senior producer and producer positions.
We have proposed the Corporation take tangible steps to invest in all employees. This requires a serious culture change across the board. We are asking the Corporation that managers go beyond their commitment to the Performance and Development Dialogue (PMSD) and have an on-going dialogue with their employees on a regular basis to support their career and development.
Staff promotion rates have gone up a few percentage points over the past few years, but we do not have sufficient clarity on the information for equity-seeking groups. For example, data on the promotion of visible minorities, Indigenous people, and people with disabilities is sadly lacking, and statistics provided for women promotion are not broken down to show the advancement of women from visible minority groups, Indigenous women and women with disabilities.
There is great need for training to support culture change for diversity. Our committee has proposed mandatory training for all CBC staff, including more unconscious bias workshops, on respect in the workplace, about the cultural census (a short survey that allows the CBC to have a more accurate makeup of the workforce diversity), and on the Journalistic Standards and Practices (JSP). Sometimes our diverse members run into issues with the JSP when it comes to reporting on matters in their own communities because of the insider shorthand community members use with each other, and sometimes this violates certain aspects of the JSP. The goal of this Joint Employment Committee includes advocating for cultural safety inside our workplaces.
Managers should be made aware of the Diversity & Inclusion Fund, a tool designed to support development of CBC employees. Managers apply for the funds, after discussion with staff requesting training, to jointly implement eligible programs. Management should particularly take the initiative to include Indigenous employees in training, development and retention programs
All members are reminded that the mandate for Engagement and Inclusion initiatives is to ensure people are able to do their best work in their careers at CBC. We want to figure out what is preventing diverse employees from advancing in their careers. The initiatives support three pillars – Workforce, Culture, Content.
There are 7 Employee Resource Groups (ERG) across the CBC, made up of 850 members: AbiliCrew; DiversifyCBC; All Nations; outCBC (LGBTQ+); Visible Women; Women in Tech; Voix LGBTQ+ (this is the only ERG group available in French).
Specific programs have been set up: CAPE (CBC AbiliCrew Placements for Excellence) is a cohort program that helps people with disabilities to advance their careers; DEL (Diverse Emerging Leaders, CBC only, not SRC) helps develop diverse employees in career advancement; and Inclusion Calendar highlights worldwide events, celebrations, and also features photos and images of CBC staff and local community events.
Saïda Ouchaou-Ozarowski – Co-Chair (CBC Branch Director – Diversity and Human Rights) – Vancouver
Sujata Berry – Toronto
Adrian Harewood – Ottawa
Khaleel Mohammed – Toronto
Terri Monture – CMG Staff Rep
NATIONAL JOB EVALUATION COMMITTEE
The CMG-CBC Joint Job Evaluation Committee is in the process of assessing the 7 modified job descriptions written by the Corporation in the context of the Job Strategy project.
Those 7 modified job descriptions are: Associate Producer, Broadcast Technician, Desktop Support Specialist, Reporter/Editor, Senior Communications Officer, Senior Designer and Video Producer.
The Committee has also formalized the process to refer Job Evaluation challenges from the local level. That process and related documents will be communicated to members as soon as possible.
The Committee also continues to work through Job Evaluation challenge files, and has referred two of these files to the Job Evaluation Appeal Panel for resolution.
Tamara Baluja – Vancouver
Ron Boileau – Winnipeg
Brad Childs – St. John’s
Farzad Fatholahzadeh – Toronto
Marianne Malo-Chenard – CMG Staff Rep