At the general meeting on July 27, members of the RNC Media union voted 84 per cent in favor of the tentative agreement concluded on June 29. The new four-year collective agreement covers the period from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2013.
“Since bargaining began in September 2009, our members have mobilized in an exemplary way and consistently participated in our meetings. This was the best thing they could have done, and it made all the difference at the bargaining table,” said Jean-Yves Bouchard, president of the RNC Media local union.
The wage clauses in the collective agreement provide a freeze for 2009 and increases of 1.5 per cent for 2010 and 2011. In 2012, the increase will be a minimum of 2 per cent and a maximum of 2.5 per cent, depending on the Consumer Price Index published by Statistics Canada. Also noteworthy is the job security clause, which was improved to allow better distribution of protected salaries among the various employee groups.
The 40 members of CUPE 3617 work for TVA-Gatineau-Ottawa and V-Outaouais television stations. They are journalists, operators, directors, technicians or routing clerks.
With 7,250 members in the telecommunications sector in Quebec, CUPE is also present in other sectors, notably in health, social services, education, urban transit, air transport, public corporations and organizations in Quebec, energy, and municipalities. With almost 105,000 members, CUPE is the largest affiliate of the Féderation des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ).
