We will hold a ratification vote on the tentative agreement between our union and Thomson Reuters on Wednesday, May 16, 9 a.m. ET, through to Thursday, May 17 at 5 p.m. ET.
A link to the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) online voting site will be sent to you, and you will need your CMG member number in order to vote.
If you do not have your CMG member number, please write to info@cmg.ca, or call the CMG national office at 416-591-5333 or 1-800-465-4149 (during standard office hours) to get it.
Highlights from the talks and of the deal include:
-A general 3% salary increase that will be back-dated to April 1, 2018; a second 3% increase effective April 1, 2019; and another 2.6% increase on April 1, 2020.
-HR and management recognize that, per our current contract, all overtime, including worked lunch hours, will be claimed and the employee has a right to choose whether they take pay or lieu time.
-We have negotiated a new Letter of Agreement on Journalists on Call. This agreement, which will be in effect for the term of this contract, creates a voluntary framework for staff to join in weekend on call rotations. Our union has negotiated a generous agreement whereby those who take on call will be paid a lump sum of $500 for the weekend ($750 on long weekends), plus accrue regular OT premiums for any reporting or writing they do during the on-call period (Article 9).
-We have tweaked Article 24, relating to Performance Improvement Plans, for clarity. Our union, HR and Management had a fulsome discussion on the perceived use of this Article to exit staff. We have been assured this is not the purpose. Our union has made clear that if managers are doing their jobs effectively, there should never be a need for a formal Performance Improvement Plans, as staff will have had the guidance and support they need to improve their performance.
-HR and management recognize that there is no place for bullying or aggressive management in the workplace. They also recognize that staff are feeling overworked and underappreciated. Measures are being taken to address these issues and ensure a better workplace environment at Thomson Reuters.
Your bargaining committee:
Hyungwon Kang (cmg.kang@gmail.com)
President, Thomson Reuters Branch, CMG
Julie Gordon (juliefilms@gmail.com)
Vice-President, Thomson Reuters Branch, CMG
Terri Monture (terri@cmg.ca)
Staff Representative, CMG