CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...

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CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
CBC/SRC BRANCH
TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
EXPLAINER 2019
CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
TABLE OF                                                 15
                                                         	
                                                              U se of Personal Devices

                                                          C redit    for Our Work
                                                                                          It was a true honour to
                                                                                          work with this bargaining
                                                                                          committee. They came from

CONTENTS
                                                                                          across the country with their
                                                                                          eyes and minds open, never
                                                                                          wavering from a commitment
                                                         	
                                                          J ob Evaluation                 to represent their coworkers
                                                                                          and get the best and most fair
                                                                                          agreement possible. Without
                                                                                          exception, throughout the long
                                                         16	I mprovement   Plans         months of negotiations, the
                                                                                          members of the committee
1	
  P resident’s   note         8    S pecial leave       	
                                                          D ispute    Resolution          remained informed, committed
                                                                                          and even good natured! That’s
                                                                                          why we were able to resolve
                                                                                          such a broad range of issues

3   Pay increases            9	
                                N orthern     benefits   17	U nion-Management            and make real improvements
                                                                                          in support of the working lives
     and term of the                                          Joint Committees            of CMG members.

     agreement                                                                            Karen Wirsig
                              11	Parental    leave      	
                                                          C omplaints      Processes      CMG Staff Representative

	
 Pension       and
    Benefits                                             	
                                                          M aintenance   & IT
                              12	Well-being                  Compensation Review

4	
  Temporary
    employment and            13   F oreign             18	H istoricalagreements
    precarious work                 Correspondents            and interpretive
                                    and Out of                documents
                                    Country Work
6	
  E mployment        Equity
    and Diversity
                              14   F reelancers

7	
  H ours   of work            	
                               R elocation
                                   expenses
CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
PRESIDENT’S NOTE                                                                                       PRESIDENT’S NOTE

                                                          Setting priorities
                                                          At the 2018 CMG Convention, together,
                                                          as 150+ CMG members and leaders
                                                          based at CBC/SRC, we worked through
      Jonathan Spence                                     a prioritization exercise and developed
      CBC/SRC Branch President, Canadian Media Guild
                                                          a members’ survey. After receiving
                                                          over 1200 responses to our survey, the
                                                          bargaining committee then compiled
                                                          the results and ranked bargaining items
      Getting started                                     based on that information.
      Over a year ago, back in January 2018,
                                                          In late September 2018, our union
      the Canadian Media Guild (CMG)
                                                          entered into negotiations with CBC/SRC
      began preparing to negotiate our next
                                                          regarding the main issues determined
      collective agreement with CBC/Radio-
                                                          from the survey results as well as several
      Canada. First, a representative selection
                                                          other smaller, but no less important,
      committee was set up by our union’s
                                                          items. After negotiations spanning
      CBC/SRC Branch Executive Council.
                                                          five and a half months, including seven
      The selection committee then chose a
                                                          full weeks of bargaining, with many
      bargaining team. The bargaining team
                                                          meetings in between, we have reached         The bargaining committee, including me,                    outlines what we have achieved in this round
      subsequently shared with the wider
                                                          a tentative agreement with CBC/SRC.          recommends the tentative agreement. We                     of bargaining as well as where compromises
      membership a primer for bargaining,
                                                                                                       believe this deal puts us further ahead than the           were made. You deserve an honest account
      outlining timelines and processes.
                                                                                                       previous agreement. The deal we have reached               of the agreement from which to make your
                                                          Bargaining                                   provides incremental improvements and a good               decision and that is reflected in this document.
      Our bargaining team is comprised of
                                                                                                       foundation to build on. Key concepts will be               I also encourage you to read the full tentative
      members based within CBC and SRC,                   outcomes                                     developed further in the implementation of                 agreement.
      from Ontario, the West, the North,
                                                          Primarily, we used an interest-based         the agreement. The groundwork has been laid
      and the East. We occupy technical,
                                                          approach during negotiations. CBC/SRC        to improve working conditions in a changing                Members of our bargaining team will be
      administrative, and editorial positions,
                                                          and CMG sought to give and take when         media environment.                                         visiting CBC/SRC locations for ratification-
      across all media platforms, and we
                                                          it was productive to do so, and each                                                                    related information meetings throughout the
      include among us an Indigenous
                                                          party took a more traditional positional                                                                month of March. The ratification vote will take
      member, consistent with a Branch
                                                          approach when we could not find
                                                                                                       Membership vote                                            place during the last week of March. So please
      by-law amendment that passed at the
                                                          common ground. While the exchanges           It is now time for the tentative agreement to be           make sure to meet and discuss the tentative
      2018 CMG convention.
                                                          were heated at times, the overall tone       voted on by the full membership of CMG based               agreement when we arrive at your location.
                                                          was respectful.                              at CBC/SRC. The information presented here                 And most importantly, please vote.

1   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019                                                2    CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019
CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
PAY INCREASES                                                                                            TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT
AND                                                                                                      AND PRECARIOUS WORK
THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT

    W                                                                                                        T
              e agreed to a            to what the federal            needed to be spent on                         he CMG bargaining             did agree to clarify that         Special efforts will now
              5-year term with         government provides for        boosting programming                          committee                     an employee generally             be made to ensure that
              similar wage             wage increases, which has      in other ways. We will                        approached                    needs to spend 18 months          short-term temporary
    increase provisions as we          hovered just below 1.5%        continue to advocate for                      non-permanent                 continuously in the same          employees be provided with
                                                                                                                                                  position, as opposed to           information on benefits,
    had in the last round; 1.5%        per year on average for the    more jobs to produce the                employment with the
                                                                                                                                                  classification, to have a right   the union, working hours,
    in 2019, 1.5% in 2020, and         last decade. In other words,   increased programming                   concern that on-going               to convert to permanent           where to seek assistance and
    increases pegged to the            we were coming at these        and, in the end, our                    work is being performed             status. This reflects current     other orientation-related
    federal Treasury Board rate        key monetary issues from       committee determined                    by temporary employees              practice. At the same time,       resources within a month of
    for wage increases in each         opposite directions.           that stability in this political        who experience long-                a “floater” position will be      their initial employment. The
    of the final 3 years.                                             and economic climate is                 term precariousness and             created in News Network           CMG has found that short-
                                       Our committee argued hard      more valuable than risking              uncertainty and lack a clear        in Toronto as a pilot project     term temporary employees
    Our union bargaining               for members to share more      a breakdown of talks over               path to a permanent job.            to see if it works to have        are not properly oriented
                                                                                                                                                  a permanent employee              to CBC resources and HR
    committee sought a shorter         of the increase to CBC’s       a percentage point on
                                                                                                              This issue took up the most         assigned to multiple              programs.
    term, and more pay and             government funding. The        wages, or a year or two on                                                  backfills.
                                                                                                              amount of time during the
    other compensation. CBC            Corporation was adamant        the term of the collective              talks. Our union acutely                                              Equally importantly, we have
    wanted a longer term               that this money could not      agreement.                              recognizes the need for             The importance of this            established new Terms of
    and to limit pay increases         go to wage increases but                                               job security for members.           pilot is to assess whether it     Reference for local reviews
                                                                                                              The tentative agreement             works to have an ongoing          of temporary employment,
                                                                                                              includes a commitment to            permanent job where               which will now be an
                                                                                                              create 41 new permanent             the employee in question          official role for local joint
                                                                                                              jobs upon ratification,             occupies various positions        committees.

PENSION AND BENEFITS                                                                                          through a combination of            depending on where they
                                                                                                              postings and conversions in         are needed. If the floater
                                                                                                              employment status for some          pilot works, we hope to see
                                                                                                              members currently classified        that model adopted more
                                                                                                              as temporary employees.             broadly as appropriate. In
                                                                                                              There is a commitment               addition, Article 27 now

    P
                                                                                                              to interview temporary              includes a clear provision
          ension and benefits          will meet with management      increases to contribute to
                                                                                                              employees who meet the              that allows for conversion
          plans at CBC cover all       this spring to review the      the benefits fund. There is                                                 after 18 months for an
          employees, including         10-year-old agreement on       now a significant sum built             qualifications and have
                                                                                                              performed the work that is          employee who spent time
    non-CMG members, and               pension surplus sharing        up in that fund and our                                                     on a temporary upgrade
                                                                                                              the subject of the posting if
    are handled by a joint             and the benefits fund we’ve    union will seek to use some             they choose to apply.               and/or a lateral assignment,
    committee involving                been contributing to for       of that money to improve                                                    as long as their original
    all the CBC unions and             the last decade. According     benefits coverage. As well,             We have also tried                  temporary assignment exists
    management – the                   to that agreement, 2019        the existing agreement on               to address barriers to              at the end of the 18-month
                                                                                                              converting employees to             period.
    Consultative Committee on          is the final year that 0.1%    pension surplus sharing
                                                                                                              permanent status. We
    Staff Benefits. All the unions     will come off our pay          should continue.

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CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT
                                                                 AND PRECARIOUS WORK

                                                                                                    EMPLOYMENT                                                             I came through the CBC at a
                                                                                                    EQUITY AND DIVERSITY                                                   time when there were very
                                                                                                                                                                           few diverse people around.
                                                                                                                                                                           We could not bring our whole
                                                                                                                                                                           selves to work and adapted
    Te r m s o f R e f e r e n c e f o r l o c a l j o i n t          I have been at CBC for                                                                               in order to thrive. Diversity
                                                                      upwards of 25 years now.                                                                             and inclusion now matter, in a
    temporar y review committees:

                                                                                                        B
                                                                                                                                                                           substantive way.  In the tentative
                                                                      My first 5 were as a temp.
     Information on temporary employees is provided
                                                                                                              oth the CMG and              the diversity of Canada’s       agreement, we recognize that
                                                                      I have seen the situation               the Corporation are          population. We have now         it is essential for “the national
     to the Union in accordance with Article 20 of the
                                                                      regarding temps worsen                  committed to finding         added language into our         public broadcaster to reflect the
     Collective Agreement. If additional information
     regarding a specific temporary employee situation                over the years. For this                ways to ensure               agreement to reflect that       diversity of Canada in workforce,
     is reasonably required, such as assignment                       reason I am on our local          the CBC better reflects            priority.                       workplace and content.”
     history, specific reasons for engagement, etc., a                temp committee. It is                                                                                Diversity is now a standing
     request should be made at least two weeks prior                                                                                                                       item for discussion at Local and
     to the meeting. Advance conversation between
                                                                      also the reason I put my          Addition to Article 1:                                             Regional Joint Committees.
     the co-chairs regarding the specific issues and                  name forward to be on                                                                                The union and the CBC have
                                                                                                         “The Parties also commit to an inclusive
     corresponding information required is encouraged                 the Bargaining Committee.                                                                            a joint responsibility to bring
                                                                                                         workplace and agree that it is essential for
     to identify data needed to facilitate committee                  I am convinced that we             the national public broadcaster to reflect the                    about change when it comes to
     discussions.                                                     made gains in the matter of                                                                          diversity and inclusion.
                                                                                                         diversity of Canada in workforce, workplace
                                                                      temps in the new Collective        culture and content.”
    The Committee’s work may include:                                 Agreement.
                                                                                                                                                                           Sujata Berry
                                                                                                        The terms “diversity” and          role have been moved to         CBC Toronto
    •	Providing visibility and a forum for communication
                                                                      Pierre Millette                   “inclusion” will now be            Article 9 to make them
       regarding temporary employees and resolving,
                                                                      CBC/Radio-Canada Ottawa           defined in Article 4 for           more visible. In these two
       where appropriate, local concerns related to the
                                                                                                        clarity.                           provisions, which already
       temporary employee provisions of Article 27.
                                                                                                                                           exist in the collective
    •	Discussing any concerns or questions regarding                                                   Article 9 – Employment             agreement, employees
       specific temporary employees. Examples may                                                       Equity and Diversity in the        will receive a written
       include: Reason for engagement, Status, Duration                                                 Workplace now includes the         development plan and there
       in position, Work history of long-service temporary                                              commitment to ensuring             is an ongoing monitoring
       employees as required                                                                            everyone feels valued,             process aimed at assessing
                                                                                                        respected and supported in         skills and job opportunities.
    •	Discussing opportunities that may exist locally to                                               how they contribute to the         The idea is to expand the
       create more certainty for temporary employees,                                                   work of CBC/Radio-Canada.          pool of candidates qualified
       where operationally possible. Some examples may                                                                                     to fill roles at CBC/Radio-
       include identifying longer term opportunities,                                                   Two current provisions             Canada.
       using a position to meet multiple backfill needs                                                 for hiring or promoting
       within a team, part-time positions, or other                                                     employees who have                 Diversity and Inclusion will
       options.                                                                                         the potential to become            be a standing item on local
                                                                                                        qualified for a permanent          and regional committees.

5     CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019                                           6   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019
CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
Employees should be compensated
                                                                        for all hours worked. It is a simple
                                                                        concept, yet it appears more
                                                                        complex in a world where news
                                                                        never stops and where employees                                                                                For quite some time,
                                                                        are always just a few clicks away.
                                                                                                                                                                                       we have been hearing

HOURS                                                                                                          SPECIAL
                                                                        By clarifying the rules around
                                                                        communications with employees                                                                                  members’ concerns about
                                                                        outside of work, we wanted                                                                                     Special Leave. We have

OF WORK                                                                                                        LEAVE
                                                                        to ensure members would be
                                                                        compensated for their time. A clear
                                                                                                                                                                                       worked with management
                                                                        collective agreement is also one                                                                               to simplify both the
                                                                        which can be used by members to                                                                                process and the language
                                                                        exercise our rights.
                                                                                                                                                                                       with the common goal
                                                                        Stéphany Laperrière                                                                                            of fair and consistent

    T                                                                                                              T
                                                                        Radio-Canada Toronto                                                                                           application of the rules.
          he bargaining                Corporation to monitor                                                             he CMG and the              The proposed article clarifies
          committee accepted           working hours to ensure                                                            Corporation have            the criteria for granting        Harry Mesh
          a proposal from the          we don’t work beyond                                                               been interested in          special leave and makes the
                                                                                                                                                                                       CBC Gander-Grand Falls
          Corporation for an           the average of 48 hours                                                            having more clarity on      application process easier
    averaging agreement to             per week over the six-                                                      when special leave applies.        with a new form. There
    allow CMG members to               month period. This will                                                     (Article 72)                       is also a new accelerated
    exceed the 48-hour weekly          allow opportunities for                                                                                        process to resolve disputes
    maximum for working                conversations between                                                                                          if they arise. (Article 16)
    hours in the Canada Labour         employees and their
    Code.                              managers about how to
                                       get time off and proper rest                                                The key principles in
    This hours-averaging               throughout the year.
    agreement recognizes                                                                                           Article 27 remain the same:
    the irregular hours in our         All the existing scheduling
    industry – for example to          and overtime rules still apply
    produce programming or             so it’s important to note        A big achievement in this agreement          “Special Leave is designed to assist an employee
    cover special events, and is       this is an Hours Averaging       is to satisfy the need of the CBC            facing an immediate or serious need in some
    meant to provide minimal           agreement, not an Overtime       to comply with federal workplace             aspect of their life beyond the workplace, such
    disruption to current              Averaging agreement. This        legislation while maintaining the            as personal matters or unforeseen emergencies
    practices, including access        means there is no change         ability of our members to work               that affect the employee or the employee’s
    to overtime hours for those        to overtime clauses in the       overtime if desired. We came up              immediate family including child care, elder
    who want to work them.             collective agreement and         with a win-win solution.
                                                                                                                     care, domestic emergencies, family emergencies
    Permanent, long-term               those provisions continue to
                                                                                                                     and illness in the immediate family.”
    temporary and contract             apply.                           Carolyn Dunn
    employees will now be                                               CBC Calgary                                CMG members rely on this
    covered by the averaging           The Corporation and CMG
                                                                                                                   special leave in order to deal
    agreement on time worked           will be monitoring this
                                                                                                                   with real life matters that
    over a six-month period.           agreement in order to
                                                                                                                   can be unpredictable and
                                       ensure that no unexpected
                                                                                                                   stressful.
    Averaging will allow us to         issues arise from the new
    work more than 48 hours            arrangement.
    in a given week. It will
    also require us and the

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CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
NORTHERN BENEFITS

NORTHERN
                                                                                                                                                                   In Iqaluit, CBC salaries are sometimes not high enough to rent
                                                                                                                                                                   a one-bedroom apartment in the private market. Sometimes,
                                                                                                                                                                   members need to ask family for help and to couch surf. One
                                                                                                             While the CMG tried to mitigate any

BENEFITS
                                                                                                                                                                   person had to live in her car for six months and basically
                                                                                                             negative impacts of the move to 100% of               couch surfed from family to family. This was a situation where
                                                                                                             the National Joint Council rates, we were             CBC couldn’t provide housing and her salary could not cover
                                                                                                             unable to maintain the current rates for              the cost of basic private dwellings. She’d be on the waiting
                                                                                                             employees in Whitehorse, who have been                list for public housing for three years.
                                                                                                             receiving higher allowances overall than

    C
                                                                                                                                                                   A third person was with CBC for about a year. She had to live
                                                                                                             their federal counterparts. Employees                 with me. She was my friend and I couldn’t turn my back on
            MG sought a visible,         in Northern and isolated        The higher allowances mean
                                                                                                             in other locations who have had low                   her. She left her two teenage boys in her home community
            fair, and consistently       locations, we’ve come to an     one million dollars in new                                                                to try and make a life here but, again, her salary couldn’t
                                                                                                             allowances historically will receive
            applied package              agreement to increase the       spending and represent a                                                                  provide for basic housing needs so she had to leave. And
                                                                                                             significant increases to bring them up
            of allowances and            allowances to match 100%        real commitment by the                                                                    another person, a journalism school graduate, worked at
                                                                                                             to NJC rates as you can see in the table
    benefits for employees               of the 2018-19 rates paid       Corporation to improving                                                                  CBC for ten days. They couldn’t provide her housing and she
                                                                                                             above.                                                needed to move to a different job that did provide housing
    working in Northern and              to federal employees as         working conditions in the
                                                                                                                                                                   with the Nunavut government.
    isolated locations that is           determined by the National      North. These are needed
                                                                                                             CMG sought to include medical travel
    in line with other major             Joint Council (the federal      increases for members in                                                                  These are all people that we work with. They are our
                                                                                                             provisions in the new Northern benefits               colleagues, they are our friends. With the increases to
    employers.                           body that determines the        Northern locations who
                                                                                                             policy. However, the data on the use of               allowances in the tentative agreement, we can get these
                                         allowance rates for federal     have been struggling with
                                                                                                             the existing, non-transparent medical                 people into homes and we can be part of the solution to the
    After many years of                  government workers).            basic costs like housing and
                                                                                                             travel policy showed low usage. Also,                 crisis that we’re living - and telling every day in our stories
    stagnant allowances paid                                             food.                                                                                     as reporters. When we look across the North, there are lots
                                                                                                             many medical procedures were not
    to members who work                                                                                                                                            of challenges we face. But we always face those challenges
                                                                                                             covered by this policy. The Corporation
                                                                                                                                                                   together.
                                                                                                             would have had to set aside more than
    The differences in the new annual rates are as follows:                                                  one-third of the new benefits money to
                                                                                                             cover the possible liability on medical               Pauline Pemik
                               PLTA                         Other allowances      Other allowances           travel. CMG did not agree with that                   CBC Iqaluit
                                              PLTA
                             Change                         Unaccompanied          Accompanied               estimate and in the end we decided
          Location                          Change in
                             in Adult                       Change after 1        Change after 1             the money was better spent on living
                                            Child rate
                               rate                           April 2019            April 2019               allowances – and put directly into
                                                                                                             members’ hands – instead of sitting in a
      Goose Bay                    -$622            -$622               +$3,356            +$5,592
                                                                                                             CBC bank account. Part of our decision-
      Hay River                    -$146            -$561               +$6,048           +$10,082
                                                                                                             making on this issue is that the CBC
                                                                                                             approach would have resulted in tying
      Inuvik                      +$719            +$655               +$13,402           +$18,401           allowances to a lower percentage of the
                                                                                                             NJC rates and there would have been                   The last official policy on Northern and Isolated Locations
      Iqaluit                   +$1,249          +$1,132                +$7,961           +$13,121           allowance reductions in more locations.               benefits was dated December 10, 1991 and was appended
                                                                                                                                                                   to the CMG-CBC Collective Agreement that expired in 2004.
      Iqaluit                                                                                                Employees in the north do have access to              We have finally reached an agreement on a new policy that
      (if in housing unit)      +$1,249          +$1,132                +$7,665           +$12,775
                                                                                                             their Territorial/Provincial medical plans            will be visible to all members. Long outdated and inadequate
                                                                                                             as well as to the Special Assistance Fund             allowances are being updated, resulting in a million dollars
      Kuujjuaq                    +$323             -$517              +$10,774           +$17,956                                                                 extra money per year to help members in those locations.
                                                                                                             administered through the Consultative
      Rankin Inlet              +$1,497          +$1,355                +$9,485           +$16,931           Committee on Staff Benefits at CBC.
                                                                                                             CMG will also explore other options with              Harry Mesh
      Whitehorse                   -$861            -$771                +$242               +$477           the Corporation to ensure members                     CBC Gander-Grand Falls
                                                                                                             facing critical or chronic illnesses that
      Yellowknife                  -$333            -$203               +$6,471            +$9,281
                                                                                                             require travel get the help they need.

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CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
PARENTAL                                                                                                                                                                           An 8-hour work-day

LEAVE                                                                                                       WELL-BEING
                                                                                                                                                                                   and a 5-day work-
                                                                                                                                                                                   week is something that
                                                                                                                                                                                   generations of union
                                                                                                                                                                                   members have fought

     W                                                                                                           T
                                                                                                                                                                                   for. But that standard has
                 e worked to update parental                  35 weeks. Current levels of salary top-up                 he CMG asserted to          We also clarified that         been eroding. Instead,
                 leave provisions in our collective           available to those on maternity, co-parent,               the Corporation that        members should be
                 agreement to ensure the                      adoption and child care leave will be                     intensity of our work       compensated when we            some members have been
                 language complies with the                   maintained, regardless of the length of                   (juggling multiple          are required to do email       increasingly scheduled
     new Labour Code provisions that extend                   the total leave (this means, despite the EI        tasks, workload, doing             and other digital work
     the right to parental leave to 18 months.                benefits being at 33% or 55%).                     more in same amount                after work hours. The          to work long stretches
     (Article 69)                                                                                                of time) and our work              current provision on call-     of consecutive days,
                                                              The CMG sought but was not able to                 schedules are negatively           back refers to telephone
     Employees are now eligible for job-                      negotiate an increase to the number of             affecting employee well-           communication only.
                                                                                                                                                                                   and without any WODO
     protected leave for up to 18 months after                weeks employees are eligible for a salary          being and job satisfaction.        (Article 66)                   payments. Others have
     the birth of a child; that extends childcare             top-up.                                                                                                              been expected to do
     leave by 26 weeks in addition to the current                                                                Currently, an employee can         Employees should be
                                                                                                                 be scheduled to work up to         reporting all their hours      work on off-hours, or
                                                                                                                 10 days in a row without           worked. To encourage this      use our personal phones
                                                                                                                 being paid overtime. The           we have added language
                                                                                                                 tentative agreement limits         that creates the possibility
                                                                                                                                                                                   to get work done. With
                                                                                                                 those long runs. The new           of having overtime hours       enforcement, the terms
                                                                                                                 norm for a workweek is 5           approved in advance of an      of the new tentative
                                                                                                                 days in a row followed by          assignment. (Article 60)
                                                                                                                 two days off, with some                                           agreement will help turn
                                                                                                                 exceptions for people on           CBC/Radio-Canada’s new         things around.
                                                                                                                 rotating schedules and             Leave Purchase Plan,
                                                                                                                 where necessary to meet            introduced last December,      Naomi Robinson
                                                                                                                 operational requirements,          will be incorporated into
                                                                                                                                                                                   CBC Toronto
                                                                                                                 including MTIS employees           the Collective Agreement.
                                                                                                                 in Toronto. (Article 58)           The new plan provides more
                                                                                                                                                    flexibility to employees to
                                                                                                                                                    purchase leave.

                                                                                                                 In addition, a letter of agreement
                                                                                                                 will be added to the Collective
                                                                                                                 Agreement that states:
                                                                                                                   “The parties recognize the importance of
                                                                                                                   increasing awareness specific to Indigenous
                                                                                                                   employee wellness and agree to jointly
                                                                                                                   discuss recommendations by the Truth and
                                                                                                                   Reconciliation Commission at the Joint Working
                                                                                                                   Group on Workplace Culture”.

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CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
FOREIGN                                                                                         FREELANCERS
CORRESPONDENTS

                                                                                                     T
AND OUT OF COUNTRY WORK                                                                                      he proposed
                                                                                                             agreement will
                                                                                                                                          provisions add clarity to the
                                                                                                                                          categories.
                                                                                                                                                                          includes a commitment
                                                                                                                                                                          to follow legislation on
                                                                                                             provide more clarity                                         children in the workplace.
                                                                                                             to distinguish               We also renewed the

     D
                                                                                                      between the various types           agreement for the 20%           The CMG will also now have
             uring the last round       Moving forward, in order      With this agreement, we         of freelance engagements,           premium that applies to         access to additional contact
             of bargaining the          to help make the same         have enabled a more             specifically when freelance         audio freelance contributors    information for freelancers
             two sides agreed           program available to                                          specific services (FSS) is an       who appear on TV due            to improve communication
             to a follow up             everyone working outside      level playing field for         appropriate engagement.             to CBC/Radio-Canada’s           about their rights.
     conversation on Foreign            of Canada, we agreed          out-of-country workers,         The CMG has been                    practice of broadcasting
     Bureaus, including                 to reduce the number                                          analyzing contracts and             radio programs on               As well, we negotiated
                                                                      to eliminate a double           raised concerns about               television.                     freelance rate increases in
     compensation, staffing             of additional leave days      standard and ensure             members being paid less                                             line with the across-the-
     and Collective Agreement           available to Foreign                                          under FSS contracts that            As the CBC/Radio-Canada         board wage increases for
     language. Foreign                  Correspondents from 15        everyone is treated
                                                                                                      they would - and should -           is moving toward more           other members.
     Correspondents are covered         per year to 10. As well,      equitably while working         have been paid as freelance         children’s programming,
     by the Collective Agreement        foreign correspondents and    away from home.                 contributors. The new               the tentative agreement
     while other employees are          their families in hardship
     not when deployed to work          locations will now get a      Carolyn Dunn
     for CBC/SRC outside of             paid flight back to Canada    CBC Calgary
     Canada.                            once per year. Foreign

     The Corporation will now
                                        correspondents in the UK
                                        and the US will not be                                  RELOCATION
                                                                                                EXPENSES
     introduce a program of             entitled to paid flights.
     conditions that will apply to
     employees deployed outside         The full changes to Article
     of the country under               69 (Foreign Correspondents)
     both Article 35 (Foreign           can be reviewed in the

                                                                                                     T
     Correspondents) and                tentative agreement.
     Appendix C (Out of Country                                                                              here is now a fair           expenses were reimbursed        for relocating when
     Work). Those currently in                                                                               and transparent              at the discretion of the        accepting a job away from
     their assignments retain                                                                                approach to covering         Corporation and typically       their location. The new
     their existing conditions                                                                               the costs of moving          only the basic costs were       table and rates set a floor
     until such a time as they are                                                                    when members are asked              covered. We discovered          for reimbursement. It will
     repatriated or assigned to a                                                                     to relocate within CBC/             that some members were          be transparent and visible
     new location.                                                                                    SRC. Previously relocation          receiving next to nothing       to all.

13   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019                                        14   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019
CBC/SRC BRANCH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT EXPLAINER 2019 - Canadian Media ...
The bargaining committee
USE OF PERSONAL DEVICES                                                                                  IMPROVEMENT PLANS                                                         worked hard to change
                                                                                                                                                                                   the language of the
     The Corporation will not require employees            your duties, you should ask your manager            CBC sought to make this             As before, if an employee       Collective Agreement
     to use our own phones or tablets to                   what the guidelines are for receiving one.          process more useful in              is deemed to have not           to improve the working
     perform work. If you need a mobile device             If you don’t agree with the manager’s               addressing performance              succeeded after six months      conditions of members.
     to do your job, CBC will provide you with             decision, you should speak to a union               issues. The CMG agreed              in an active Plan, the
     one. If you aren’t provided with a mobile             representative.                                     to a provision to allow the         employee can be reassigned      But good language is
     device and believe you need one to perform                                                                Corporation to resume an            or laid off. It is important    useless without proper
                                                                                                               Improvement Plan within             that members reach out to
                                                                                                               nine months of the end/             a union representative if       enforcement. As such,
                                                                                                               suspension of an earlier            their manager launches an       improvements were
                                                                                                               Plan, but only in the event         Improvement Plan as there
                                                                                                                                                                                   made to the dispute
CREDIT FOR OUR WORK
                                                                                                               the same performance                may be other factors that
                                                                                                               issues persist or recur within      could provide context to        resolution mechanisms.
                                                                                                               the 9 months.                       performance issues. The         For certain types of
                                                                                                                                                   improvement plan is meant
                                                                                                                                                   to address non-culpable         leave, for example, if a
     We’ve updated Article 13 to confirm that              their work appears. As well, a link to the                                              performance issues only.        member disagrees with
     CBC employees are entitled to credit for              CMG logo will appear on cbc.ca. While                                                   (Article 42)
     their work, on every platform, where it is            it may not be possible to provide credit in                                                                             the decision of his/her
     feasible and reasonable to provide it. CBC            every case a member wants it, best efforts                                                                              manager, he/she may
     should work with program teams to find                should be made.                                                                                                         escalate the dispute
     a way to credit people regardless of where
                                                                                                         DISPUTE RESOLUTION                                                        quicker via the accelerated
                                                                                                                                                                                   resolution process, so it is
                                                                                                                                                                                   resolved sooner.

JOB EVALUATION                                                                                                 Our main objective was              Leave Without Pay, Outside      Olivier Desharnais-Roy
                                                                                                               to simplify the dispute             Activities, Job Evaluation,     CMG Staff Representative
                                                                                                               resolution process and              and potentially other issues
     We now have a commitment of two                       As well, $449,000 is remaining in a                 ensure quick access to              where a quick answer is the
     meetings per year of the national joint               fund from the previous round of full job            a third party arbitrator            only way to ensure justice is
     Job Evaluation (JE) committee, an                     evaluation to settle disputes. This money           when necessary. The focus           not denied.
     improved dispute resolution process and               will be used to implement changes related           remains to try to resolve
     a commitment that the Corporation will                to this new round of job evaluation. In             disputes directly with a            The full changes to Article
     release new job descriptions for seven                addition, we are urging the Corporation             manager before filing a             16 (Dispute Resolution) can
     classifications by July 31, 2019: Reporter-           to proceed with reviews of additional job           grievance.                          be reviewed in the tentative
     editor, AP, Video Producer, Broadcast                 descriptions as soon as possible to reflect
                                                                                                                                                   agreement.
     Technician, Senior Communications Officer,            the rapid changes in our industry and the
     Senior Designer, Desktop Support Specialist.          work we do. (Article 55)                            We have an accelerated
     These positions will then be rated following                                                              process to resolve disputes
     the job evaluation process, taking into                                                                   regarding Special Leave,
     account any new duties and requirements.

15   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019                                                 16   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019
UNION-MANAGEMENT                                                                                           HISTORICAL AGREEMENTS
     JOINT COMMITTEES                                                                                           AND INTERPRETATIVE DOCUMENTS
     We will now be allowed up to four CMG                 Union and management co-chairs of                     The CMG and CBC/Radio-Canada made                    and the change to the Broadcast Technology
     members per local committee and there is              committees will have a greater role to                efforts to identify and, where necessary,            Career Structure. All can be reviewed within
     more clarity on scheduling meetings and               facilitate effective functioning so we can            renew or renegotiate a series of side                the Tentative Agreement; some have been
     union leave. The union compromised to                 better share information and solve problems           agreements that were never incorporated              incorporated into existing articles of the
     provide some additional notice for union              as they arise.
     leave: we now have to request the leave 10                                                                  into the collective agreement. They cover            Collective Agreement.
     business days, rather than calendar days,                                                                   issues such as Senior Reporter assignment,
     ahead to facilitate scheduling.                                                                             interns, taxi and parking reimbursements,

                                                                                                                   ALL MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY
COMPLAINTS PROCESS                                                                                                  TO VOTE ON THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
     The CMG sought to address problems
     members experience as participants in
                                                           quickly as possible. We have agreed to more
                                                           transparency in the process when someone
                                                                                                                       DURING THE LAST WEEK OF MARCH.
     a complaints process (Respect in the                  comes forward with a workplace complaint,
     Workplace, Harassment) – as complainants,             and an understanding that all participants
     respondents or witnesses. The CMG and                 in investigations should have a clear                 Canadian Media Guild / La Guilde canadienne des médias
     the Corporation agree that complaints need            option of union representation, including
     to be taken seriously and addressed as                complainants and witnesses. (Articles 7, 8)
                                                                                                                                               www.cmg.ca / www.laguilde.ca

MANAGEMENT & IT
COMPENSATION REVIEW
     Upon ratification, a joint review of the              paid less than market rates, we will work
     compensation of employees working in                  with CBC to try to address the discrepancies.
     Maintenance & IT will be commissioned,                The CMG and CBC have already engaged a
     as agreed back in 2009, and the union                 firm to complete the study and are currently
     and management will compare the results               in the process of drawing up terms of
     with what similar workers earn at other               reference.
     employers. If it turns out CBC employees are

17   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019                                                   18   CBC/SRC Branch - Tentative Agreement Explainer 2019
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