Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

:CBC redirects here, as this is the most common use of the abbreviation in English. For other uses, see CBC (disambiguation).

Labour problems

Most employees of the CBC were locked out by CBC management on 15 August 2005 in a dispute over future hiring practices. The locked-out employees are members of the Canadian Media Guild, representing all technical and on-air personnel outside Quebec and Moncton, including several foreign correspondents on unaffiliated contracts. While CBC services are continuing, it is primarily archive material, with limited programming with other employees. Major CBC programming such as The National and Royal Canadian Air Farce will not be produced during the lock out. After a hiatus, talks have now been re-opened.

Related Topics:
15 August - 2005 - Canadian Media Guild - Quebec - Moncton

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On September 23, the federal minister of labour called Robert Rabinovitch, the president of the CBC, and Arnold Amber, the president of the CBC branch of the Canadian Media Guild, to his office for talks aimed at ending the dispute.

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Late in the evening of October 2, 2005, it was announced that the CBC management and staff had reached a tentative deal which, if ratified, will result in the CBC returning to normal operations by October 11. The looming October 8 start date for the television network's most important television property, Hockey Night in Canada, was cited as an additional incentive to resolve the dispute and the CBC claims that they will endeavor to be ready for the program's scheduled start time.

Related Topics:
October 2 - 2005 - October 11 - October 8 - Hockey Night in Canada

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The CBC has been struck by a number of other labour disputes since the late 1990s:

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• In early 1999, CBC technicians in all locations outside Quebec and Moncton, New Brunswick (for both English and French networks), members of the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, went on strike. Just before the Canadian Media Guild, which represented on-air, production and administrative personnel in those territories, was set to strike as well, the CBC settled with both unions.
• A similar dispute, again involving all technicians outside Quebec and Moncton, occurred in late 2001 and concluded by the end of the year.
• In spring 2002, on-air staff in Quebec and Moncton (again, on both English and French networks) went on strike, leaving, among other things, NHL playoff games without commentary on French television.

While all of the disputes have resulted in cut-back programming and numerous repeat airings, the 2005 lockout has appeared to be the most crippling dispute in several years. All local programming in the affected regions was cancelled, and managers were put to work reading abbreviated national newscasts or hosting national radio morning shows instead of the popular, locally-produced productions. BBC World (television) and World Service (radio) and Broadcast News feeds were used to provide the remainder of original news content. Some BBC staff protested their material being used during the CBC lockout. "The NUJ and BECTU will not tolerate their members? work being used against colleagues in Canada," said a joint statement by BBC unions. The CMG questioned whether, with its limited Canadian news content, the CBC was meeting its legal requirements under the Broadcasting Act and its CRTC licences.

Related Topics:
BBC World - World Service - Broadcast News - NUJ - BECTU - Broadcasting Act - CRTC

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Galaxie supplied some music content for the radio networks. Tapes of previously aired or produced documentaries, interviews and entertainment programs were also aired widely. Selected television sports coverage, including that of the Canadian Football League, continued, but without commentary.

Related Topics:
Galaxie - Canadian Football League

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As before, French language staff outside of Quebec were also affected by the 2005 lockout, although with Quebec producing the bulk of the French networks' programming, those networks were not as visibly affected by the dispute apart from local programs.

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The unions represented at CBC/Radio-Canada include:

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• Canadian Media Guild - CMG - Three units: 1. On-Air and Production; 2. Technical; 3. Administrative and Support;
• Association of Professionals and Supervisors
• American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada - AFM
• Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (Performers) - ACTRA
• International Alliance of Theatrical, Stage Employees and Moving Picture Machine Operators of the United States and Canada (Stagehands) - IATSE
• Writers Guild of Canada - WGC
• Association des réalisateurs - AR
• Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada - SCRA
• Société des auteurs de la radio, de la télévision et du cinéma - SARTeC
• Syndicat canadien de la fonction publique - Conseil des sections locales (Groupe des employé(e)s de bureau et professionnel(e)s - SCFP
• Société professionnelle des auteurs-compositeurs du Québec - SPACQ
• Syndicat des technicien(ne)s et des artisan(e)s du réseau français - STARF
• Union des artistes - UDA

Source: About CBC's Unions

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