The workers, members of the Communications Energy and Paper Workers Union (CEP), set up picket lines in cities and towns across the country to press their fight for a wage increase and against concessions demanded by the CBC, which it said would save the corporation $6 million.

The CBC, a Crown Corporation funded by the federal government, is the largest English-language radio and television network in the country. The camera operators, sound and lighting technicians, and all other behind-the-scenes broadcast personnel were locked out by the CBC bosses who sought to impose a contract on them after negotiations broke down on the eve of a strike deadline.

Workers will receive a 5.5 percent wage increase over the length of the new two-year contract. The workers turned back several demands for concessions, such as on industry standard overtime rates.

One of the most contentious issues has not been fully resolved. The CBC bosses wanted to eliminate all references in the contract that require them to give workers a certain number of hours off between shifts and to compensate union members for missed meal breaks because of the work schedule.

"CBC moved a long way from their original positions but we still must hold the managers accountable for getting our members meal breaks and time between shifts," said CEP spokesperson Mike Sullivan. "We haven't seen the end of the issue, but hopefully over the next 18 months we can work out systems that ensure that meals and sleep breaks are not the huge problem they have been."

The determination of the workers had an immediate impact on the company, forcing the CBC to cancel much of its regional programming. In ratification meetings held across the country before the vote, union members expressed concern that if the lockout continued many viewers would turn away from the CBC forever, resulting in the elimination of regional CBC programming. "The very fabric of CBC journalism in regional centers was threatened, if this continued much longer," said Peter Murdoch, one of CEP's vice-presidents.

In the back-to-work protocol the CBC agreed to take back all locked-out permanent employees and to take no action against any employee in relation to activities during the lockout. John Steele is a member of UFCW Local 175.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home