Canadaland staff officially unionized
The board announced today that it has granted the application by CWA Canada.
The union filed for certification last month after an overwhelming majority of eight workers signed union cards. At that time, staff explained their motivation for organizing: “We, the workers of Canadaland, believe that forming a union is the best path forward — not just for us, but for the company as a whole. We will benefit from clear policies setting out organizational structure, editorial vision, and concrete measures for achieving greater diversity in our workplace and programming.”
The filing is part of a wave of unionization in the North American digital media industry. Workers at VICE Canada, BuzzFeed Canada, and Canada’s National Observer have also joined CWA Canada.
CWA Canada President Martin O’Hanlon welcomed the Canadaland workers, saying unionizing will be good for staff, for the company, and for journalism.
“As things have changed dramatically in the news industry, one thing has become abundantly clear: it is more important than ever that media workers have a say in their work and in their workplace,” O’Hanlon said. “The best way to improve quality, morale, and diversity is to give workers a stronger voice and the power to negotiate.”
CWA Canada is the country’s only all-media union, representing 6,000 workers, including at the CBC, The Canadian Press, APTN, and newspapers coast to coast.
CWA Canada is the country’s only all-media union, representing 6,000 workers, including at the CBC, The Canadian Press, Thomson Reuters, VICE Canada, and newspapers coast to coast, including several Postmedia publications.