Tuesday 17 August 2010

SONG contracts

SONG president Brad Honywill says nine Sun Media newspapers collectively agreed to new contracts using a new "local-wide coordinated bargaining campaign."

Honywill, president of CEP Local 87M, writes about how the union wrapped up the nine contracts and a health benefits issue in his latest Brad's Blog posting.

He writes:

"Coordinating their bargaining for the first time in CEP 87M’s history were the following units: Sarnia Observer; Chatham Daily News; London Free Press (editorial); Simcoe Reformer; Stratford Beacon-Herald (advertising); Brantford Expositor; Niagara Falls Review; Belleville Intelligencer; and Pembroke Observer (editorial).

"The nine Sun Media units that put their necks out to achieve this victory for themselves also won a victory for several more CEP 87M Sun Media units whose contracts expire later this year because the company has agreed to accept the pattern negotiated earlier.

"Appropriately, those other units supported the nine by voting to supplement their strike pay if a labour disruption was necessary to achieve this very fair trade-off that the company initially refused to consider.

"I’m proud to say that members at the Toronto Sun, Owen Sound Sun-Times, Stratford Beacon-Herald (editorial, mailroom), Ottawa Sun and the London Free Press (general unit) voted in favour of a 1% special levy on their pay to help their brothers and sisters in the other Sun Media units, if it was necessary.

"Fortunately, a fair settlement was achieved without that special levy being required. But it warmed my heart to see the solidarity among the Sun Media members across this Local."

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