CBC/Radio-Canada employees represented by the Canadian Media Guild (CMG) have ratified a new collective agreement.
The three-year deal, covering the period from April 1, 2024 to March 31, 2027, is the shortest in almost two decades, allowing the bargaining committee to go back to the table sooner “when there are so many variables at play for CBC-SRC at the moment.”
Over 2,700 members cast their votes with 89.4% in favour of the new contract, which includes an immediate wage increase of 6.1% (including two years of retro pay) on April 8 of this year, translating to 12.57% more in wages between March 2022 and April 2026. The minimum daily Technical Freelancer rate also improves to $400 a day, up from $280.
CMG says a record number of members participated, more than double the number of voters in the 2019 ratification, with 2,486 “yes” votes and 295 members voting “no.”
Among other protections written into the new agreement are artificial intelligence safeguards around use of members’ likeness and agreement to have ongoing dialogue with management as technologies develop.
Remote work decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, deterring full departmental decisions being made based on individual circumstances. A new accelerated dispute process will also help those denied telework get answers. Job postings will now indicate if the position is telework eligible.
Temporary workers also made gains in the agreement, with the benefits qualification threshold now down from 29 hours per week to 50% of the full-time hours of their base position over two pay periods. A new National Temp Committee will be created to oversee issues around overuse of temporary workers. The union says an option to create one-year contracts after two years of continuous temporary work in different positions, could ultimately lead to permanent status. As well, casual workers can now earn time in lieu after 13 weeks.
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