Posted: Thursday, 6 June 2013

OTTAWA ― The President of the Canadian Labour Congress has expressed outrage over a back door attempt by the Conservative government to interfere in labour relations and the established rights of workers to join and remain in a union.

Ken Georgetti was responding to the introduction of Bill C-525, a private member’s bill to change certification and decertification procedures in the Canada Labour Code, the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, and the Public Service Labour Relations Act.

 

“The Canada Labour Code enjoys a great deal of respect and support among federal unions and federal employees,” Georgetti says. “This support is the result of the tripartite process  that has been followed for decades as a consultative process for amending the Labour Code and its application.”

Georgetti asks, “Who’s running the legislative show with this government? Changes to labour laws are the responsibility and purview of the Labour Minister. It makes no sense to have a backbench MP, with no experience in labour relations or the operation of the Canada Labour Code, making significant changes to process around both joining and decertifying unions. This sends a very bad signal to stakeholders.”

Georgetti adds that there are no serious issues in federal labour relations that require amendments to the Canada Labour Code and other federal labour legislation. “It is completely inappropriate to politicize the amendment process and to ignore a process that has worked well, has the support of the parties involved, and is so vital to industries in the federal sector, which are key drivers of Canada’s economy. This type of action by the government undermines an established process and will have unintended consequences that will create problems for government, employers and unions.”

The Canadian Labour Congress, the national voice of the labour movement, represents 3.3 million Canadian workers. The CLC brings together Canada’s national and international unions along with the provincial and territorial federations of labour and 130 district labour councils.

Web site: www.canadianlabour.ca  Follow us on Twitter @CanadianLabour

Contacts:  Dennis Gruending, CLC Communications: Tel. 613-526-7431

                 Cell-text: 613-878-6040. Email: dgruending@clc-ctc.ca

Writers Guild Asks Senate to Say "No" to Bill C-377

In its appearance before the Senate Banking, Trade and Commerce Committee, the Writers Guild of Canada  appealed to senators to reject Bill C-377 and its requirements for public disclosure by unions of all financial transactions over $5,000.

Maureen Parker, WGC Executive Director, says, “if passed, this legislation will be damaging for screenwriters. Much of what the WGC does is resolve disputes between producers and writers expeditiously, in confidential settlements. This is the reason members and non-members pay dues. Under this Bill, producers will know which writers have been paid in a dispute and may blacklist those writers.”

Parker added that “the requirement to make public all financial transactions over $5,000 will put the guild and its members at competitive disadvantage. Many of our collective bargaining strategies will become visible as we often hire outside legal counsel to assist us with negotiation preparation. And outside consultants and lawyers may not work with us if their fees become public, or engagers may seek to restrict our access to them by offering higher fees. We will lose all strategic positioning in collective bargaining.”

The WGC also noted that the guild’s Constitution and Bylaws already provide members with transparency, accountability and the ability to shape the direction of their organization through elected representatives. The Bill’s proposed reporting overlays unnecessary, costly, arduous and potentially damaging processes, and it should be withdrawn or defeated.

Rogers OMNI Cuts Reneges on Commitment to Ethnic Communities Says Union

Rogers' decision to reduce or eliminate programming from its OMNI TV stations and its specialty services flies in the face of its commitments to Canadians and the CRTC, says Canada's media union, the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada.

"Instead of investing some of the $12 billion it earned last year, Rogers has reduced news to and for a variety of ethnic communities, and is closing City News Channel, the news channel it just launched to serve Toronto," says Peter Murdoch CEP's Vice-President, Media.

The CRTC licensed the OMNI TV stations to meet Canadians' strong demand for linguistic diversity and greater understanding among people with different cultural backgrounds. In 2009, Rogers announced it had established 'a viable and successful business model for ethnic television'. It said it needed - and subsequently received - more regulatory flexibility to ensure the highest possible level of service to its audiences.

"Taking news and information from ethnic communities in Vancouver, Toronto, Edmonton and Calgary flies in the face of Rogers' promises to the CRTC and Canadians," says Murdoch. "It shows that caving in to never-ending demands from broadcasters like Rogers for less regulation does not increase and improve programming for Canadians, but reduces and weakens it. Even worse, it kills jobs and shuts the door on young people looking for work in the media."

With interests in TV, radio, cable, the internet and magazines, Rogers is one of Canada's largest media companies, reporting an operating profit margin of 39% in 2012.

"How does a regulatory framework that lets large and very profitable broadcasters kill programming and jobs whenever they like serve Canadians' interests? " demands Murdoch. "Why are Canadians the price for companies that profit so enormously from the broadcasting system while putting back so little?"

Rogers Media Cancels CityNews Channel and OMNI's English South Asian Newcast

“The following is a statement from Scott Moore, President of Broadcast, Rogers Media, regarding CityNews Channel and OMNI Television.  "Today, we made changes to the company’s television strategy to reflect evolving viewer habits and the global structural shift in advertising.

 “Moving forward, we will focus our broadcast news resources in Toronto on 680News and CityNews on City, and as a result, have ceased operations of CityNews Channel, effective immediately. Given the changing marketplace, programming changes have also been made at OMNI Television: the English-language South Asian newscast is no longer being offered and production operations in Alberta have ceased. We remain committed to ethnic programming and will deliver news in four other languages, as well as continue to air programming in more than 40 languages.

 “Today’s changes impact 2.5 per cent of the company’s broadcast workforce. While difficult, these changes enable us to continue to focus our efforts where we know the market is growing, while helping us to effectively manage our costs.”