Negotiators for CMG and APTN will meet in Winnipeg on Friday, January 19th, in an attempt to reach agreement on a new collective agreement for editorial employees.
The parties will be in a legal strike/lockout position as of this coming weekend, but the federal conciliators have asked that no action be taken until after the talks next week. The Guild has agreed.
"We consider this our one last chance to get a fair deal, a deal that ensures members' wages remain competitive and that at least meet real and anticipated cost-of-living increases," says lead CMG negotiator, Dan Oldfield.
The Guild's editorial members at APTN voted 73% in favour of strike action to back their contact demands. While several issues, including performance evaluation and the duration of the agreement, remain unresolved, the central issue is across-the-board wage increases.
CMG's wage proposal would result in increased costs to APTN of less than $40,000 per year. The broadcaster recently received an annual increase of about $11 million from cable fees. "We are confident our proposal will not cause a hardship to the employer. It is both fair and responsible," says Oldfield.
By law, the parties are required to give 72 hours notice of any job action. We will keep you updated as events unfold and we appreciate the support members have given their negotiating team.
Your bargaining committee: Greg Taylor Bruce Spence Cheryl McKenzie Dan Oldfield Dan Zeidler
