TORONTO–The news of layoffs and restructuring at Global News this week chips away at already barebones newsrooms and puts democracy at risk as the number of media workers dwindles in the industry, says Unifor.

“It is becoming impossibly difficult for media workers to face the news of restructuring and layoffs on a regular basis,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President. “Journalists are the backbone of our democracy. We need to save local news by investing in newsrooms – not cutting them. We will continue to support our members during this devastating time.”

The Corus Entertainment cuts impact online journalists and online video journalists. Global has also decimated its award-winning sports department in Edmonton, the only local television sports coverage in the city.

Unifor has over 800 media members at Corus as part of Local M1 across the country.

The union has been part of an active campaign to ensure the Broadcasting Act mandates the Canadian Radio and Television Commission (CRTC) to support local news, including by “developing, financing, producing or promoting local news and information programming,” with the creation of a news fund.

“We need to save local news,” says Randy Kitt, Unifor’s Director of Media. “The CRTC has allowed foreign broadcasters to systematically dismantle the business model for local news in this country and Bill C-11, as much as its needed and should be expanded, doesn’t address this problem.”

Bill C-11 is supposed to modernize the Broadcast Act to bring foreign internet streamers (such as Netflix) into Canada’s regulatory system. If foreign streamers are now allowed to compete directly with Canadian broadcasters, they should have the same responsibilities as Canadian broadcasters to support the telling of Canadian stories that should include local news.

Unifor represents more than 10,000 media workers, including journalists in the broadcast and print news industry.

TORONTO– Unifor members working at CN voted overwhelmingly in support of strike action amid ongoing negotiations in which CN has tabled a package of broad concessions.

Local 100 members voted 98%, and Council 4000 members voted 97% in favour of strike action. The earliest possible date of job action would be March 21, 2023, following a 72-hour notice.

“CN continues to report record quarterly earnings as a result of the work of Unifor members. In a time of massive profits, rail workers deserve to be compensated fairly and treated with respect. With these strike mandates they have shown they are united in these demands,” said Lana Payne, Unifor National President.

Revenues at CN Rail reached $17.1 billion at the end of 2022, an increase of 18% from 2021. Meanwhile, profits reached $5.1 billion by the end of 2022 (increasing by 4.5% from 2021). A further $2 billion were paid out in shareholder dividends in 2022.

Unifor has five collective agreements with CN Rail, which cover mechanics, clerical workers, excavator operators. All 3,600 Unifor workers in Local 100 and Council 4000 are covered by these agreements – four of which will be negotiated during this current round of bargaining.

“Members are well-aware of the insulting concessionary package that CN continues to push at the bargaining table and with this vote, they’re uniting to push back,” Cory Will, President of Unifor Local 100.

Unifor’s two national bargaining committees have engaged in six bargaining sessions since the parties formally opened negotiations on Oct. 19, 2022. On Dec. 9, 2022, the union filed for conciliation to help progress negotiations.

The bargaining committees are set to meet with the employer again during the week of March 13.

“Unifor’s bargaining committees remain fully committed to reaching a collective agreement that recognizes the value and contributions of rail workers,” said Dave Kissack, President of Unifor Council 4000.

The union is asking CN to remove the concessions and negotiate a collective agreement that values their workers.

Unifor Local 100 represents skilled trades in mechanical shops and Unifor Council 4000 represents intermodal, clerical, mechanics and excavator operators. Unifor is the largest union at CN.