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Desire for fair rules sparked New PL organizing campaign |
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A concern about the fairness of layoffs and an informal discussion in
the station parking lot started the process leading to a May 2004 first
union contract at the New PL, owned by CHUM, says morning news anchor
Bob Smith.
The parking lot conversation in 2002 during which one co-worker said
"what about a union?" got Smith thinking about the benefits that a
collective agreement would bring to the London station where he worked
since 1979. So, he helped get a group together, which led to a meeting
of about a dozen people during which it was decided to openly organize
a union.
While the station, which also operates in Windsor and Wingham, long had
an employees’ association and a policy handbook, the procedures
outlined looked good on paper, but had little or no practical effect.
"One of the arguments that convinced people to join the union was the
need for a set of rules that meant something," said Smith. "Most people
saw the importance of that."
Clear rules regarding layoffs were seen as especially important at a
station that had gone through three different owners in the time Smith
had worked there. Previous rounds of layoffs after ownership changes
resulted in layoffs of senior people who were well paid. People wanted
years spent with the company to mean something, said Smith and they
wanted a fair, objective grievance procedure.
"This owner, this management may be okay but what guarantees are there
in this business?" he said. "We wanted a set of rules that would be
there no matter who owned us."
While one manager tried to play up divisions between senior and junior
people, the pro-union committee made sure to get input from both recent
hires and longtime employees.
"We made sure to include everybody," said Smith.
This resulted in over 100 people signing union cards and the
certification of a 160-member bargaining unit that includes every
employee at the station but sales and some associated staff.
Smith said members are generally pleased with how the initial contract
worked when the company announced layoffs last year. Because of
provisions in the collective agreement no one unwillingly gave up their
job and some junior people who initially received layoff notices
actually ended up advancing their careers by getting positions in other
CHUM locations.
Smith, who as unit chair began attending CEP media conferences and CHUM
bargaining council meetings, said he has learned one more important
reason for all broadcast employees to join the union.
"It’s so good to get together with your colleagues from across Canada,"
he said. "We were among the last CHUM stations to be unionized.
"We’ve learned so much and gained so much strength just from attending the meetings."
He encourages every broadcast employee who still doesn’t enjoy the
benefits of collective agreement to join CEP, Canada’s Media Union.
"I look forward to talking to anyone interested in embarking on a
similar path, sharing the information and experience we have picked up
along the way."
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