David Empey

I normally listen to the CBC on the way to work, and over the course of many mornings. However, at the moment, the employees of the CBC who produce programs and present them on-air, have been locked out by management. There are a couple of things which I think are worth noting about this.

First, management is referring to a ‘labour disruption’ at the CBC on both the radio and television networks. That is very misleading, and seems designed to be so. This isn’t a labour dispute, and workers are not on strike. They have been prevented from working by management.

Second, this isn’t about money – for the workers. CBC employees (who, again, would rather be at work) aren’t fighting for big wage increases. This is about management attempting to make radical changes to the CBC. Ultimately, management wants to eliminate the permanent workforce of dedicated professionals they now have in favour of temporary employees who would live contract to contract and have no permanent relationship with the CBC.

It seems to me this is about two visions for the CBC. Management is behaving as though they believe the CBC is just another business. Locked out workers see the CBC as I think most of us do – as an important part of, and contributor to, Canadian identity and culture. Let’s protect it, and not allow wrongheaded managers destroy it.

Moreover, whatever you may think of the role of the CBC as a public broadcaster, we all ought to lament the loss of permanent jobs to temporary ones. This isn’t limited to the CBC, and we too easily buy the corporate line that it is necessary in order to compete in a global economy. We should be talking more about this issue, and challenging the view that decent jobs are a quaint or old-fashioned idea.

Note: Take a look at www.cbcontheline.ca for more information on the CBC lock-out.