Saturday, August 20, 2005

Support Locked Out CBC Workers


Adrienne Arsenault in
Neve Dekalim on the Gaza Strip on August 15, day 1 of the lockout.




CBC Workers Blog, Podcast, use student radio
Its an on air strike back by locked out CBC workers. They are blogging, podcasting, doing an online webnews page, and working with Canada's University/College radio stations which have public fm access, to create an alternative to CBC, broadcasting your favorite shows on air, as mp3's, etc. Its a whole new era of high tech labour activism.


Locked-out CBC staff in Calgary launches weekly radio broadcast Canadian Press
CALGARY - Locked-out CBC Calgary personalities launched a news and current affairs show on university radio Monday as the dispute with the public broadcaster dragged into its second week. "We hope we only have to do this once," said Tom Spear of the Canadian Media Guild, which represents 5,500 employees who have been locked out since Aug. 15. "But we're prepared to do it once a week for one hour on Mondays for as long as the lockout lasts."The program, on CJSW at the University of Calgary, began at 11 a.m. and was hosted by Newsworld anchor Kathleen Petty and other local broadcasters. Other radio shows are planned across the country in Vancouver and Fredericton through connections with campus radio stations.















Help Locked Out CBC Workers

Contact Anne McLellan and ask that she help resolve the dispute.

Alberta Federation of Labour Aug 19, 2005

4,500 CBC workers, ranging from technicians to on-air personalities, were locked out on August 15. The main issue in the dispute is CBC's attempt to bring in temporary contract workers, undermining job security and stability.

The Canadian Media Guild is asking Canadians to contact their MP to ask that the federal government step in to help resolve the dispute. In Alberta, we are being asked to contact Deputy Prime Minister Anne McLellan. You can contact her here:

Anne McLellan
MP Edmonton Centre
Constituency phone: (780)495-3122
Ottawa phone: (613)992-4524
email:
McLellan.A@parl.gc.ca

Find the contact information for your local MP here.

For more on the CBC Lockout, go to the Canadian Media Guild's website.

Also see my blog articles on the strike:

Nasty Mother Corp.


Solidarity With Locked Out CBC Workers

And the issue is not Wages, Labour disputes not about wages

Like the Telus Lock Out, this is Management attempting to outsource and privatize work. And it is a Lock Out by Management this is NOT a strike.

Outsourcing is the 21st Century class stuggle; like the eight hour day was the 20th Century labour struggle.

CBC, union see contract work as the great divide

Contracted labour: Better for corporate bottom lines, worse for society?

Trend toward contracts over full-time jobs bad for society, say experts