January 26, 2017
Dear fellow Canadian Media Guild members,
I am honoured to be serving as CMG’s new national president. Members have endorsed a shared commitment: we want to build a more open and collaborative, member-driven union. Here are some developments of interest across our membership:
-Report on Canada’s news industry out today
-Lobbying on Bill C-27, proposed pension legislation
-Important vote underway at Corus
-Mourning and celebrating Keith Maskell, long-time CMG Staff member
Report on Canada’s news industry
CMG believes that the fundamentals of journalism and a healthy democracy in Canada both involve maintaining newsgathering capacity across the country, including locally, reporting in communities — with newsroom staff everywhere getting paid properly for the work that we do.
And, of course, we know and continue to champion the vital role of Canada’s national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada, as well as The Canadian Press, and other public service media, such as TVO, TFO and APTN. Likewise, we recognize that journalism produced at privately owned companies is valuable to our democracy and public life. Our members work at and sustain many critical Canadian media institutions.
CMG will be examining in detail the Public Policy Forum’s report, and have fuller responses to share after elected member-representatives have had an opportunity to thoroughly consult with one another. Meanwhile, please consider taking a look at the report and sharing your impressions.
Lobbying on Bill C-27
CMG members at CBC continue to press the federal government on proposed new legislation –Bill C-27, An Act to amend the Pension Benefits Standards Act. February 7 has been set as a day to lobby MPs to drop Bill C-27 and focus instead on making sure more Canadians have access to a secure retirement.
Important vote underway at Corus
Today and tomorrow, workers in broadcast operations at Corus Entertainment headquarters in Toronto are voting on whether to form a union. Current CMG members at Corus are asking for our help to get the message out to other members of the voting unit. You can find out more here.
Mourning and celebrating Keith Maskell, long-time CMG Staff member
The Canadian Media Guild is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our brother, friend and colleague Keith Maskell. Keith was an exemplar of dedication to fellow CMG members during his many years as a CMG workplace-based activist and later during 16 years at our union office as a CMG Staff Representative. Our online tribute to Keith has been updated with some lovely photos and testimony from some of those who worked with him at CMG. I invite you to take a look when you can.
As always, our union is about what we can do and build when we pull together.
With warm regards, and in solidarity,
Kamala Rao
National President, Canadian Media Guild