LEC Meeting March 7, 2024 – Minutes

10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.

CMG office

311 Adelaide Street East 

Attending:  Lara, Andrew, Sarah, David, Jann, Lorne, Wendy, Annie, Arman

Attending remotely:  Kat, Jag (Tentative Deal- On Ratification tour)

Adoption of agenda  Dave moves, Lorne seconds, passes unanimously 

Adoption of past minutes – Feb 15, 2023

Dave moves, Jann seconds, passes unanimously

Ongoing Business

Bargaining/ratification update 

Lara mentions that posters are up in our bulletin boards. 

We have permission to put up Ratification posters by the elevators. 

LEC will get that done today/Thursday/Friday.

Deal/Member Feedback

(Around the table roundup of what LEC members have heard in their respective departments, since the tentative deal was announced – much of it commentary and information that was intended to be kept within the Local Executive Committee.) 

Layoffs/cuts update

CMG has been told that there will be more cuts coming. 

Arman mentions that if any layoffs are coming among temps, that it’s likely in late April, early May when shows will finish their seasons. 

Lara mentions how her Dept in News had a very tough time backfilling last summer, so it’s likely to be the same situation this year. Hence there should be some backfill editorial work for some temps.

Pension Surplus update

Lorne mentions that members are cynical about how long it’s taking, and how management could be tying this to the contract bargaining. 

Lara says hopefully there will be news on resolving this, by August.

Stewards Training update

No updates. There has been a lot going on, with the tentative contract on the table. 

Wendy needs to find some time to look at ‘Artwork’. And she says a union release day is needed to take a look at the slides.

Wendy kicked off discussion about office hours. ‘The Steward is In’.

There’s discussion and agreement among the LEC members, that it might be good to invite members who went through the fall ‘Steward’s Training’, to join the office hours with some of the more experienced Stewards.

Jann likes the idea of the CMG having more of a presence in the building. And also the need to meet younger members ‘where they’re at’. So more ‘social media’ interactions might be effective.

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** Kat joins us ‘remotely’, from Vancouver Airport **

KAT says March 19-25, members will receive an email and will be asked to vote.

We need to receive a 50% percent + 1 vote, for the deal to pass.

Kat mentions that people will all have their individual opinions. It would be great if the LEC encouraged members to look at the deal as a full package, rather than just the compensation.

Also, Kat talks about some of the other factors to encourage members to take into consideration – the challenging media landscape, the political ramifications of voting down the deal, and potential labour action. Also, the public support currently for the CBC. And a member’s individual/personal financial situation. 

Kat speaks specifically about the TEMP gains in the deal, and how hard fought, and significant they are for many current and future members. 

** Jag joins us ‘remotely’, from Halifax Airport **

Jag says he’s been talking to contacts in other unions. These experienced union people have said that they think it’s a good deal – and compensation is decent, under current circumstances. Jag also agrees that the deal is good. Not perfect, especially on wages. But there’s lots of wins in it that would be sad to lose. 

Jag walks through how intense the bargaining was, and how the compensation gains that were made, were hard won.

Communications update (website/social media/LEC calendar/comms committee

Working on finding a time when people on the Comms Committee can get together, which has been challenging.

We need content, and it’s difficult to know what that content should be, given all the issues swirling around right now. 

New Business

President’s council “scholarships”

• Gathering of CBC local presidents, and branch presidents from other locations. Lara reminds LEC that if anyone is interested, they should apply. It’s a great opportunity to meet union leaders from other branches/locations, and share best practices. 
• Andrew is interested and will be applying for a scholarship.

May Day prep committee

LEC members who are interested, should put up their hand. 

MOTION: To strike a sub committee for May Day planning.

Lorne moves, Arman seconds, passes unanimously.

(Lara, Annie, Sarah volunteer)

Andrew to put in releases for the LEC for May 1.

LEC reports 

Table officers, directors, chief stewards

Motion to end meeting – Andrew moves, Arman seconds, passes unanimously