Talks hit impasse at Victoria Times Colonist

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Source: cwa-scacanada.ca

Union members picket outside the Times Colonist in this photo from 2002. The strike began at noon on Sept. 3, 2002 and was ultimately to last exactly nine weeks.

An about-face by management of the Victoria Times Colonist has brought contract talks with three unions screeching to a halt.

The Victoria Joint Council of Newspaper Unions says meetings planned for next week have been cancelled and no new dates have been scheduled. The impasse was reached when the employer attempted to reintroduce significant items the Council believed had been removed.

Negotiations to renew three collective agreements that expired at the start of this year began on May 1. Two CWA Canada Locals and the Communications Energy and Paperworkers bargain jointly at the newspaper, which is now owned by Postmedia Network.

The Victoria-Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild represents 153 employees in editorial, advertising, circulation, maintenance, information technology and business departments. The 35 workers in the mailroom belong to Local 30403 while CEP’s 29 members work in the pressroom, pre-press and composing.

The unions faced similar difficulties in negotiations four years ago when the newspaper was still owned by Canwest. The company at that time went into talks seeking major concessions that one union spokesman described as “total decimation.” In the end, however, they were able to reach agreement on new contracts that went forward rather than backward.

The next generation of news consumers relies on social media, TV, Web for information

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The Knight Foundation’s latest survey of high schoolers found that 92% of students say it’s important to stay informed about the news (the same percentage says it’s important to vote). The research shows a shift in how teens get their news. In a typical day, they report doing the following to get news:

  • Watch TV for news 1-3+ times: 77%
  • Read an article online 1-3+ times: 54%
  • Watch video news online 1-3+ times: 48%
  • Read an article in print 1-3+ times: 42%

Read entire story here:  poynter.org

 

 

Times Colonist earns three Webster Award nominations

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Source:  timescolonist.com

The Times Colonist is a finalist in two categories in the 2011 Jack Webster Awards — earning two nominations in the category of best print-news reporting of the year and picking up another nomination for best legal reporting.

B.C.’s best journalists will be announced at the 25th annual Jack Webster Awards dinner on Oct. 24, in Vancouver.

CTV’s Lloyd Robertson is the featured speaker, and CBC’s Gloria Macarenko and Tony Parsons are hosts.

Times Colonist police reporter Katie DeRosa was nominated in the best news reporting category for print for her stories called “Policing the Police.”

Reporters Lindsay Kines, DeRosa, Jack Knox, Judith Lavoie, Les Leyne and Rob Shaw were nominated in the same category for “Robert Pickton and B.C.’s Patchwork Policing.”

In the Times Colonist’s third nomination, court reporter Louise Dickson was nominated for the Jack Webster Award for Excellence in Legal Journalism her coverage of “Crisis in B.C. Courts.”

The 2011 Bruce Hutchison Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to the Kamloops Daily News’s Mel Rothenburger.

The Tyee – Perils of BC’s New Freedom of Info Policy

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British Columbians may soon know a lot less about what’s happening in the government’s backrooms, thanks to a recent change in how it responds to freedom of information requests.

In the past, those records — which have revealed everything from secret contracts awarded to the premier’s supporters, to which ministry has the worst performing bureaucrats — have only been given to the individuals who asked for them.

read entire story here

Social media triggers ‘dramatic’ rise in online defamation

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Social media has led to a surge in the number of online defamation cases – which more than doubled in the last year according to new research.

The number of UK cases citing online defamation rose from seven to 16 in 2010, while the overall number of defamation proceedings rose by 4 per cent from 83 to 86.  Read entire story

A newspaper company that prints all the right numbers

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Source: theglobeandmail.com

Investors seeking growth have eschewed, quite rightly, the beleaguered newspaper publishing industry, as its members have recently been offering declining top lines. Value-oriented investors with an eye for meaty profit margins and chunky cash flow, however, have kept newspaper stocks in their sights……. read entire story

 

 

 

 

O’Hanlon, Kirkup sworn in as leaders of national union

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Arnold Amber and Martin O’Hanlon

Arnold Amber and Lois Kirkup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Stephen Thorne

Martin O’Hanlon was sworn in today as Director of CWA Canada although he will not officially begin in the full-time position until Aug. 30. O’Hanlon, 44, is taking a leave from his regular job as parliamentary editor for The Canadian Press, where he continues until the end of this week.

Arnold Amber, the outgoing Director, conducted the official swearing-in of O’Hanlon and Lois Kirkup, 50, who was acclaimed as Deputy Director in May. The president of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild became Treasurer, also by acclamation, a month earlier at the spring meeting of the National Representative Council. Kirkup will serve in both volunteer positions on the executive until a new treasurer can be elected at the next NRC meeting in April 2012.

O’Hanlon, a member of the Canadian Media Guild who last month was declared the winner in national elections, had been Deputy Director for seven years.

“I am looking forward to working with everyone to make this the most progressive and dynamic union in Canada,” said O’Hanlon.

“I’d also like to pay special tribute to Arnold Amber, who steps down after 16 years at the helm of the union. Arnold has been a strong and visionary leader who built CWA|SCA Canada into what it is today. We are grateful for all he’s done and will welcome his ongoing advice.”

CWA, IBEW agree on bargaining approach with Verizon

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Source: The Newspaper Guild

Members of CWA and IBEW at Verizon Communications will return to work on Tuesday, Aug. 23, at which time the contract will be back in force for an indefinite period.

We have reached agreement with Verizon on how bargaining will proceed and how it will be restructured. The major issues remain to be discussed, but overall, issues now are focused and narrowed.

We appreciate the unity of our members and the support of so many in the greater community. Now we will focus on bargaining fairly and moving forward.

CWA and IBEW represent 45,000 workers at Verizon covered by this contract from Virginia to New England.