CBC Workers Locked Out

On August 15 management at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) locked out 5 500 of its workers, including technical, support and editorial staff as well as on-air hosts, reporters and commentators.

CBC Workers Locked Out

by Jeff Shantz

On August 15 management at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) locked out 5 500 of its workers, including technical, support and editorial staff as well as on-air hosts, reporters and commentators. The CBC bosses are using the lockout to attack workers' job security and impose a contract that allows the corporation to hire more workers on a part-time and contract basis. As most media commentators have suggested this is a potentially devastating move by the CBC, one that has already led to a substantial loss of viewers and listeners in a competitive market.

So why would the public broadcaster turn to such an aggressive and risky tactic as a lockout? Perhaps the CBC's taking a cue from one of their main clients, the National Hockey League, which only recently locked out its players for over a year - costing the loss of an entire season - in a successful attempt to win a series of major concessions from the Player's Association. Defeats of labour organizations, especially high profile ones, always embolden other bosses to go after unions in their own industry. It is crucial that workers come together to support the locked out CBC workers. To find out more, contact the Candian Media Guild at: http://www.cmgtoronto.ca.

Nearly 30% of CBC employees already have non-permanent status. CBC management wants to make that number grow. Their plan is as bad for public broadcasting as it is for the people who make CBC work.

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Strike!
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vol.1, issue 3

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