After a long bargaining process, the union has reached a tentative agreement with Thomson Reuters (TR).

The four-year deal (2021-2024) between the Canadian Media Guild and TR contains gains in pay and working conditions for all members, including temporary workers.

The bargaining committee pushed back against demands for concessions, and this deal preserves the current  Defined Benefit plan for existing employees while providing for a slightly different but comparable Defined Benefit plan for new hires (this program is managed by provincial pension group CAAT and other Guild members at small branches participate in the plan). 

Here are the highlights:

• There shall be a general wage increase of 3% each year for the first three years, effective on April 1st of 2021, 2022 and 2023. Effective April 1, 2024 the general wage increase will be 2.5%. This is 11.5% over the four years of the contract.

• The current Thomson Reuters Defined Benefit plan is preserved, with funding ensured, for existing employees. New employees will join the CAAT Defined Benefit plan.

• We made numerous gains for temporary employees, including three days of sick leave every 6 months.

• We strengthened language around temporary employees being converted to Full Time, including a provision stating all temps must be made permanent after 24 months of service, with probation waived.

• We created language around a fair performance appraisal process, making clear there cannot be a quota system for ratings granted.

None of these gains would have been possible without your input and support.  You told us protecting the pension plan for all members, including future TR hires, was important.  Your mobilization on this issue helped us develop a solution with the employer that ensures the same benefits continue, though they will be managed by a different provider (CAAT).

We also want to thank Thomson Reuters management for its work helping us to reach this win-win solution. We are glad the positive relationship with management remains intact, even after a sometimes challenging negotiation process.

Ratification meeting – May 20 at 7 p.m. ET

Members are invited to a virtual ratification meeting on Friday, May 20, 2022 starting at 7 p.m. ET. We will go over the tentative agreement and answer members’ questions. The online ratification vote will open on May 20 after the meeting, and close on May 23.

Your Guild bargaining committee:

Julie Gordon, CMG President at Thomson Reuters
David Ljunggren
Eric Martyn
Julie-Anne Vondrejs, CMG Staff Rep