After more than a year of deliberation, the chair of the Ontario Labour Relations Board has ruled that all Digital Media Producers and Instructional Designers at TVO are to be placed into CMG’s bargaining unit and that all of the work in dispute in the related CEP grievances is CMG work.

Board chair Bernard Fishbein also ruled that CMG work includes the performance of duties or use of tools that are necessarily incidental to the core functions associated with the CMG bargaining unit.  This could include functions that might otherwise fall under Unifor jurisdiction.

The 82-page award summarizes many days of evidence and argument that were heard over the course of three years.

The Board’s decision puts an end to a number of disputes between CMG, TVO and Unifor over the issue of new tools like smartphones and tablets, as well as the ever-increasing role of social media. Mr. Fishbein determined that having a journalist or a producer shoot a pic or a short video with a smartphone, and then publishing that online, has become a normal and accepted part of the employee’s storytelling role.

It’s important to understand that this decision doesn’t weaken Unifor’s jurisdiction. We look forward to working with our Unifor colleagues as we always have.

We will be seeking a meeting with TVO management very soon to discuss the ruling and how it will affect our relationship as we head back into collective agreement negotiations in the coming weeks.

For more information, please contact Guild staff rep Terri Monture at terri@cmg.ca.