Updated
Speaking of unions . . .
Re Metro Toronto: Old news, circa 2007. Apologies.
Meanwhile, the Communications Workers of America is targeting Sun Media employees in Barrie for union organizing in an online pitch.
The intro reads:
"A BETTER WORKPLACE
A BETTER LIFE
await Sun Media employees in Barrie
Your colleagues at other newspapers owned by Quebecor/Sun Media probably earn more than you. Chances are, they have more vacation time, better benefits and enjoy a work/life balance that you can only envy.
In other words, they get what they deserve.
Why?
They are members of CWA Canada and they have introduced democracy into their workplaces. We'd like to help you do the same in Barrie."
Is the CWA targeting the Barrie Examiner, Sun Media's "centre of excellence" in Barrie, or both?
And is CWA competing with SONG for new members? We've never understood the need for more than one strong media union in the province.
But check out CWA's April story about Quebccor's continuing job cuts at former Osprey newspapers: "Layoffs, outsourcing, department closures leave Ontario dailies a lot less local in nature"
"If Quebecor continues to outsource jobs and centralize production, the only thing that might still be local about many of Ontario's daily newspapers could be the nameplate on the front page," says the CWA.
"Jobs and entire departments are being relentlessly chopped at former Osprey Media newspapers - many of which have served their communities for more than a century - as Quebecor's Sun Media division sends more and more work to non-unionized company facilities in Barrie."
Ah, the Barrie connection . . .
"The cuts have been keenly felt in Kingston, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, where the loss of the four-person composing room led to the demise of a CWA Canada Local, the Sudbury Typographical Union."
That story was posted in April and, as you know, job cuts and cutbacks at former Osprey newspapers continue almost weekly.
Speaking of unions . . .
Re Metro Toronto: Old news, circa 2007. Apologies.
Meanwhile, the Communications Workers of America is targeting Sun Media employees in Barrie for union organizing in an online pitch.
The intro reads:
"A BETTER WORKPLACE
A BETTER LIFE
await Sun Media employees in Barrie
Your colleagues at other newspapers owned by Quebecor/Sun Media probably earn more than you. Chances are, they have more vacation time, better benefits and enjoy a work/life balance that you can only envy.
In other words, they get what they deserve.
Why?
They are members of CWA Canada and they have introduced democracy into their workplaces. We'd like to help you do the same in Barrie."
Is the CWA targeting the Barrie Examiner, Sun Media's "centre of excellence" in Barrie, or both?
And is CWA competing with SONG for new members? We've never understood the need for more than one strong media union in the province.
But check out CWA's April story about Quebccor's continuing job cuts at former Osprey newspapers: "Layoffs, outsourcing, department closures leave Ontario dailies a lot less local in nature"
"If Quebecor continues to outsource jobs and centralize production, the only thing that might still be local about many of Ontario's daily newspapers could be the nameplate on the front page," says the CWA.
"Jobs and entire departments are being relentlessly chopped at former Osprey Media newspapers - many of which have served their communities for more than a century - as Quebecor's Sun Media division sends more and more work to non-unionized company facilities in Barrie."
Ah, the Barrie connection . . .
"The cuts have been keenly felt in Kingston, Peterborough, Sault Ste. Marie and Sudbury, where the loss of the four-person composing room led to the demise of a CWA Canada Local, the Sudbury Typographical Union."
That story was posted in April and, as you know, job cuts and cutbacks at former Osprey newspapers continue almost weekly.
i think song should do a survey in some of their unionized offices about whether unionizing has made a better workplace and better life... it's a topic that is much talked about in our office these days: are we really better off after we unionized ? we got the sales pitch too years ago and many of us now have our doubts. Morale isn't just low about the company and I wish our union masters would realize that too
ReplyDeleteFor what I've been told, choose the CEP over CWA. CEP is Canadian and you will have a voice. CWA is U.S.-based and less likely to listen. However, if given a choice of CWA or nothing, go CWA. Unionize the snot out of Sun Media or keep getting crushed. Are you listening, Calgary and Edmonton?
ReplyDeleteI think SONG should do a survey in some of their unionized offices about whether unionizing has made a better workplace and better life. It's a topic that is much talked about in our office these days: are we really better off after we unionized? We got the sales pitch two years ago and many of us now have our doubts. Morale isn't just low about the company and I wish our union masters would realize that too.
ReplyDeleteWhy the focus on cutbacks on former Osprey papers? The cuts continue at the old Bowes papers too!
ReplyDeleteOur former Osprey paper is non-union, but no union has approached us. Not sure whether employees would join or not, for fear of being targetted by PKP for further job cuts before certification.
ReplyDelete"Union masters?" Uh, there's your problem. The union is you. We started the drive among ourselves, we were unified on it - more than 90% on a strike vote - and we employees work hard to implement it in the form of grievances filed and attention to friction points between middle management and employees. Our two contracts since certifying have both been good ones (certainly far better than the non-union employees in our building). Quebecor deals more reasonably with union shops that are unified and crushes the ones that aren't.
ReplyDelete"Union masters" is so weird. It sounds like the language of an anti-union zealot writing an op-ed column. The union is there to provide resources (lawyers, financial help, etc) for actions we choose to take. They're not there to come in and save you like a kitten in a tree.
As for "targeting," It's more likely to happen if your workplace isn't wholeheartedly behind it. In that situation, your colleagues who take the risk to start the drive can be hung out to dry. I'm very happy to say that wasn't the case where I work.
Jim Slotek
Vice Chair
Toronto Sun Unit
Local 87-M
CEP
You do not need to worry about cuts before certification, anonymous 12:56 a.m. As soon as you certify, everything is frozen until first contract. Check your provincial labour law before you let anti-union people scare you with false theories.
ReplyDeleteHrm. CWA is worried about the dues they don't get anymore from the offices that were canned. Nothing less, nothing more.
ReplyDeleteBetter wages, there's a wage free, so that won't happen. Better workplace...floor mats and water coolers? PKP doesn't care about unions. When he decides to make changes damn the torpedoes, who cares! No one will stand up to him, union or not. Go on strike? not enough unions together could stop him from publishing something. The only way he'll listen is for readers and more importantly advertisers to stnad up collectivly and say no, this is enough! YOu preach community, but live for yourself
ReplyDeleteAs a member of the CWA in a newspaper that has felt the Sun Media cuts I can assure you that the CWA ensured that the laid off employees got what they deserved -- every penny! And it is still helping those employees with retraining grant money -- more than Sun Media did for them!
ReplyDeleteBarrie -- stand up for yourself and sign the union card!
That's the spirit! Just the kind of anonymous surrender-monkey I look forward to going to war with.
ReplyDeleteJim
Just so there's no confusion, of the nine anonymous posts in this thread, I was responding to the "don't bother, why try, PK will crush all unions" post two spots above me.
ReplyDeleteJim
Last time someone tried a union at our paper - a publisher's car was set on fire, or blown up. I am not 100 per cent sure on which as it was before my time and people do tend to spin stories a bit
ReplyDeleteMake that 10.
ReplyDeleteJim
If you're a senior reporter or editor, you better hope to God you have a union ... because if there are cuts - you're it.
ReplyDeleteAre unions perfect? Absolutely not. But at my paper, the common practice used to be to layoff the senior reporters, because they made more money and had more holidays - and had nothing to do with their skill level.
If there was ever a time for all newspapers to organize, it's now.
Those centralized offices for pagination/ad building are gonna be nothing more than glorified sweat shops.
If you are unionized or you are thinking about becoming unionized, you will be targeted by the Sun. There are many examples. The Sun would rather operate as a non-unionized business and the Centres of Excellence concept was formed to reduce unionized staff. JS talks about union protection..look at what happened to the Toronto Sun Prepress department after it became unionized. All the 45 employees soon lost their jobs after certification. 13 of the employees lost their jobs even before a contract was negotiated. If the Toronto Sun Editorial department wasn't unionized, it would have been the Centre of Excellence for everything. A union will put a target on you at Sun Media and the only people that could possibly gain anything from unionization in the short term are the older employees who don't have the skills to prosper in today's woekplace. This will only last for a short period as their lack of skill will force them out of the workplace or the Sun to start another Centre of Excellence.
ReplyDeleteGee, I'd love to trace the address of posts like that last one. It's like listening to Tokyo Rose. "Give up, G.I.!"
ReplyDeleteThat's 12 anonymous posts, including this one from a rabid anti-unionist. Yes, pre-press was a defeat - largely because of people like this guy who kept support to barely above 50% from the beginning. But if you really want to compare honestly, how about telling us about the fantastic treatment of non-unionized staff in this building?
And do you want fries with that?
Jim Slotek
(As always, I have a name)
Vice Chair
Toronto Sun Unit
Local 87-M
CEP
In reference to Anonymous June 18, 2:45 a.m., your numbers are wrong. Obviously, you are fear mongering for a purpose. There is still a pre-press unit, albeit smaller. Yes the jobs went to Woodstock, at $13 to $15 an hour and 30 hours per week. I wonder what their benefits are like? And if they get laid off, do they get eight weeks notice? And do they get 2.4 weeks severance per year of service for a maximum of 1-1/2 years? And do they feel confident in calling the ministry of labour if there's a health and safety issue? And do they feel like they can file a grievance when the company does something they believe is wrong? And do they feel like they don't have to cower in the shadows when a manager gets angry? Any chance they feel secure in their jobs? No? Sign a card.
ReplyDeleteRob Lamberti
Chair
Toronto Sun Unit
CEP Local 87M
Fear mongering...that is what you and Slotek seem to do all the time.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what purpose, if any, that June 18, 2:45 a.m had, but their comments were very accurate.
I am sure that the guys who you got to lead the union drive in Toronto Prepress have regreted their decision ever since. I know for a fact that they do and that is why they quit their jobs after many years of service. Unionization did put a target on their backs that wouldn't have been their otherwise.
It is evident that PKP has continued to beat up on unions. Yes, all employees have been impacted by what has happened at Sun Media. However non-unionized employees are treated better during their employment as well as afterwards.
Time for you to stop the union propaganda.
I'm a Toronto Sun Editorial Bargaining Unit employee. I am not mentioning my name for obvious reasons. Mostly because I know what happens when you don't tow the union line and I don't feel like being bullied in the workplace by my own peers.
ReplyDeleteI truly would like to know what it would be like without a union in Editorial. It hasn't provided me with anything and I would like my work to be based on its merit and I am tired of seniority based things that keep less productive and less talended people around.