Journalists’ Groups Urge Government to Refrain from Sit In’s on CBC Negotiations

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Numerous journalists’ organizations and unions are asking Canadians to call on the Harper government to suspend its plans of allowing the representatives of the Treasury Board to be present at the public broadcaster’s bargaining tables. The president of Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and a former union leader a former executive producer at the CBC, Arnold Amber, informed reporters on Monday that federal intervention in the settling of collective agreements at the radio and television network will ultimately diminish its journalistic independence.

The newly proposed omnibus legislation, also known as Bill C-60, entails a controversial provision allowing the federal cabinet to instruct Crown corporations, including the CBC, on how to settle with their employees. Moreover, the bill proposes that government to the power of an official sit in on collective bargaining negotiations at the Crown agencies. Meanwhile, the government claims that such steps are necessary as part of its cost-cutting measures. But Mr. Amber and numerous other groups, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, the Fédération professionnelle des journalistes du Québec, the Canadian Media Guild and the Syndicate des communications de Radio-Canada, are openly asserting that the bill will end the cordial relationship between the government and the CBC.

A CBC journalist, Bill Gillespie, alleged that it is very clear why government should not have said powers as it will influence the broadcaster’s coverage. He alleged that reporters should know they can report stories that are negative about the government without “some sort of blow back on your media organization at the bargaining table.”


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1 Comment

  1. for one thing, the program called, “hockey night in Canada ” should change its stupcomment_ID name to,
    “hockey night in Toronto”. when was the last time the maple laffs played a matinee game ??? the cbc has a problem with aways giving favour to the pathetic laffs. SICKENING !!!!!!!

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