The CMG is pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with VICE Media after several months of intensive negotiations.

The deal includes a 9 percent salary increase over 3 years, 6 additional weeks of severance pay after 5 years of service, and 4 additional weeks’ notice (or pay in lieu) for anyone laid off.

The bargaining committee made incremental gains in other areas you had told us were priorities, namely averaging of hours, diversity in hiring, updating of job classifications and of parental and maternity leave provisions. There are also improved timelines on expense reimbursements and paid time for bargaining.

Significantly, we worked hard to maintain gains such as bumping and recall rights, voluntary layoff options, and conversion of temporary positions to permanent roles after 12 months – all important protections based on fundamental union principles that the company had initially opposed at the onset of bargaining.

The 3-year agreement is effective April 1, 2020 through to March 31, 2023.

Here are the highlights:

– 9% total wage increase over the 3 years of the agreement, with the first 3 % retroactive to January 2020, and the next bumps applied on April 1 to align with VICE’s fiscal year.
– 6 additional weeks of severance after 5 years of service
– 4 additional weeks of notice for members who are laid off (or pay in lieu)
– Diversity in hiring with job applicants being invited to voluntarily self-identify, and use of gender-neutral language in the Collective Agreement
– Averaging of hours for scheduling
– Employee expenses now to be reimbursed 45 days after manager approval (instead of 60 days)
– Update of job classification to reflect current job titles at VICE
– Update of Parental and Maternity leave provisions to reflect Canada Labour Code enhancements
– New employees’ benefit eligibility period starting after three months of continuous employment
– Letter of understanding on health benefits

Next steps:

Please join us for a virtual all-member meeting on Tuesday, March 23 at 7 p.m. ET to go over the agreement and take questions. Zoom coordinates have been emailed to you.

In solidarity,

Your bargaining team:

Natasha Grzincic (ngrzincic@gmail.com)
Jordan Pearson (pearson.jordan1@gmail.com)
Julie-Anne Vondrejs (julieanne@cmg.ca), CMG Staff Rep