Here are some of the biographies of candidates running for the Toronto Local Executive Committee of the Canadian Media Guild:

Candidates for President:

Tony Germin

What I hope to do is make the CMG at the Toronto local more transparent and more democratic and more accessible to all members.
The Line:”This is what I do at, and for CBC: Enforce the collective agreement and advocate for members rights.”
My record stands for what I have promised to do more of.

Naomi Robinson

Connections… Communications… and Cooperation.

The CMG represents the most creative, talented and dedicated people at the CBC. Our Local Executive Committee can help these members connect with one another and their union much more effectively so they can tap into the union resources they need. The LEC can improve communications within the CMG; both in how it informs members, and by creating clearer channels between local, national and international levels of the union. We are enjoying a decade of improved relations with CBC management but we have to nurture that relationship while maintaining all our rights to best represent our members. It’s important that, as the largest local chapter of the CMG, we continue to develop a cooperative approach to workplace issues while being prepared to pursue more traditional means of defending our members rights.

The Canadian Media Guild is one of the most progressive unions in Canada, and I’m proud to represent it.

Union Resume…
*CEP Picket Captain Lockout 2001
*Local Toronto Executive Director 2004- 2005
*Local Toronto Executive Chief Steward 2009- 2011 & 2011- 2013
*Local Joint Committee Member
*Toronto PMSD Joint Committee Member

Candidates for Director:

Maureen Brosnahan

I’ve been at CBC for more than 25 years, as Producer and National Reporter in many locations across the country. Toronto has been my base for the past 15 years.

I have been an active Guild member and am at present a Director on the Local Executive where I was responsible for Mobilization and Education. That includes initiatives such as monthly CMG info tables, Take Your Break for Ice Cream and the traditional summer BBQ and Christmas Party.

We have faced many challenges in recent years; dramatic cuts and now the ongoing nipping and tucking. This has taken its toll on many of us, many feel demoralized and disengaged. I want to change that. I believe in a respectful and productive workforce, where CMG employees have a meaningful say in the valuable work that we do. As a CMG director I will work for that.

CBC plays an important role in the lives of Canadians. We, as CMG members, are an integral part of this Corporation, whether we work in production, programming, administration or technical support. More change and challenges are ahead. A strong local CMG can help manage that change in a way that can save jobs, preserve our integrity as professionals and deliver quality services and programs.

I want to see an improved workplace morale, better communication between management and employees and meaningful consultation. Respect in the Workplace should not just be a platitude, but part of our everyday life at the CBC. I ask for your support.

Kim Galway-Taylor

I am proud to be both a CBC employee and a Canadian Media Guild Member. I’ve been in broadcasting nearly 25 years, both private and public sectors.

I firmly believe the CBC treats its employees very well.

I also understand CBC employees today benefit greatly from improvements resulting from hard working, dedicated men and women who devoted time with CMG – shedding light on areas needing attention, while creating an even more enhanced work environment for all.

What remains vital throughout the inevitable changes our times present, is the health of ongoing shared interests, understanding, and communication between the CBC and the CMG, ensuring tremendous value in our contribution to our amazing industry.

I CARE about what happens to YOU!

Those who know me will tell you I’m passionate about the welfare of others. I want to work for – and with – YOU to help ensure your work environment is positive and rewarding. My focus will be helping bridge communication and building relationships important to you and your colleagues!

Like you, I care deeply about the future of the CBC and our roles within this precious Canadian broadcasting treasure. Vote for me, for Local CMG Toronto Director! My passion and drive give you a voice in the issues that matter most to you!

Glen Guerin

With over 12 years of experience on the Toronto LEC I have met with members and Managers to help solve health and safety issues which have made their jobs better. I currently hold The Workplace Health and Safety Committee Co-Chair position. If elected next term I will continue as Director to help our members and the issues they bring to me.

Matt Guerin

I’ve been a Media Librarian at CBC Toronto since 2004. I’m also an award-winning freelance filmmaker. I’ve volunteered the last few years for the local Canadian Media Guild chapter by helping to organize its annual Pride events in June. The last two years, I was the chief organizer and curator of the CMG Toronto’s Pride Week Short Film Festival, an innovative event that brought in both CMG members and members of the public to the CBC’s Graham Spry Theatre to view some of the best LGBT short films in the country.

If elected as a director, I want to work on more CMG-Toronto events throughout the year, as well as communications efforts. Some of my priorities will be working with CMG members on workplace issues, including job evaluation, cost of living, and anti-harassment policies. I want to make sure that members’ concerns are reflected in local CMG efforts and that communications between the union and its members are strong.

Colman Jones

I’ve been working at CBC for most of my life, whether it be for TV, radio or online, both on the air and behind the scenes, for programs including IDEAS, As It Happens, Marketplace, counterSpin, CBC Sunday, Champions of Change, and The National. I currently work assembling overseas TV news stories on the foreign assignment desk. I look forward to drawing on this extensive experience in serving my fellow colleagues as a director.

I’ve long been an active Guild member and supporter, from re-designing the CMG’s national website a few years back, helping with photographs here and there, even producing an independent 2-hour documentary during the 2005 lockout. Despite all the cutbacks of recent years, the CBC still remains one of the most important and vital institutions in Canada. With all the challenges we face in this ever-changing media environment, a strong union is more than ever an important component of a healthy workplace environment, and it’s my hope and intention to do everything in my power to keep our association strong.

It would be my honour to serve as a guild representative, and look forward to your support in the coming election.

Riza Kaya

Dear Colleagues:
I would like to request your support in the upcoming delegate elections for the Canadian Media Guild. Since last year, I have been serving as one of your Directors of the Local Executive Committee in Toronto and would like to continue representing you in this role. As some of you may know, I have been in the broadcast industry for twenty five years, the last ten of which has been with the CBC in the TV Studio Maintenance group in Toronto. Over this time, I have gained a breadth of professional experience, ranging from TV studio experience to high power TV transmitters.

But one of the most personally rewarding and fulfilling roles has been representing you in the Guild. From both my own experiences at the CBC and through my conversations with many of you, I am very aware of what our members need and deserve and have consistently communicated these at union meetings. In addition to my union duties as Director, I have also worked closely as an alternate on workplace safety issues with the Health and Safety Committee where I have strived to achieve safer and healthier working conditions for our members. I also attended the previous two CMG conventions in Toronto in order to better understand our rights so that I can effectively represent you. I have also organize the annual members’ kids soccer day at the S.A. picnic.

I would be honored to continue serving as your union representative and hope you will give me the opportunity to do so.
Thank you for your support!

Kamala Rao

I started with CBC in 1992 as a videographer on a TV show called Road Movies, one of eight young people filing weekly reports from the road while we travelled solo across Canada.

After that, I worked as an EA at the old CBC building on Jarvis St, mostly lugging tapes and delivering scripts. It was my first exposure to a newsroom, an immersion, and I remember my sense of having landed somewhere important.

Later on, I joined a team that produced a debate show, Face Off, for Newsworld. Since that time, I’ve gone on to produce various sorts of studio-based programming and I’ve also worked as a field producer for news and current affairs.

Over twenty years, I’ve seen colleagues dedicate themselves in a myriad of ways to the essential work that we do. This dedication has endured through many, many changes – technological, cultural, and financial.

We share a deep commitment to serving the public. I believe that furthering this commitment also requires defending our work environment and protecting the value of our work. For this reason, keeping our union responsive, vital, and strong helps us to get the job done.

Wendy Walker

The strength of a local union depends on its members participation and
involvement. By working together in solidarity, we can can win improvements
in our workplace and our communities.

Hi, I’m Wendy Walker and I would like to be one of your new (local) Toronto CMG
Directors. As a Graphic Designer here at CBC for over 12 years, I know first
hand the power of an effective union rep in making our workplace a better
place for all of us. That’s why I’ve decided that it is time for me to give back and lend my voice to help make a difference.
Please join me and exercise your right to vote on-line at cmg.ca between December 5th to December 9th.

Candidates for Chief Steward:

Tamir Kojfman

I have been working with and for our members as a scheduler in Media Production Services since 2007. Supporting our department’s technician & associate director schedules, with sensitivity to turnaround and work/life balance issues. I have been a go-to resource for our department for most scheduling concerns for staff and non-staff, as well as supporting our growing group of temporary members and their concerns. I have been more involved in the Guild as a volunteer on committees, helping the membership where I can.

Now, I am running for Chief Steward for the Toronto Local Executive Committee so I can truly help our members and their concerns, and provide greater support in more CMG matters, acting in the best of my abilities and be the representative we need. I want to do more to help and bring fresh ideas & perspectives to such issues as job evaluation, collective agreement concerns, and other CMG issues.

Thank you for your support and please vote!

Kyle Kutasewich

I, Kyle Kutasewich, am running for the position of Chief Steward on the Toronto LEC of the CBC branch of CMG. I have 23 years experience as a Broadcast Technologist in Radio, TV and TMS operations. My experience in both media areas has provided me with a strong sense of the day-to-day issues that our Guild members face.
“The main role of a steward is to make sure there is good communication between the members and the union representatives. A steward makes sure union reps are aware of what’s going on in their work area… [and] passes on information about union initiatives, such as bargaining, dispute resolution, and meetings with management.”, CMG.CA website, rights and resources page.
As one of your Chief Stewards, I will be involved in discussions to resolve disputes and conflicts, and reviewing the kinds of decisions management is making.
I have participated in the CMG National Conferences in 2006 and 2012, created a Maintenance Advisory Committee in Toronto and am currently part of a joint CMG-Management subcommittee examining the Broadcast Technologist Career Structure.
I look forward to the opportunity to volunteer in the capacity of Chief Steward, and would appreciate your vote. Thank You.