CTV London reporter wins 2014 labour journalism award

TORONTO, Sept. 22, 2014 /CNW/ - CTV London reporter Cristina Howorun has won this year's Unifor Local 87-M Labour Journalism Award for her comprehensive and unflinching four-part series on the impact of Right-To-Work legislation in North America.

"Cristina Howorun's superb reporting helped demystify a highly controversial labour policy – initially a key plank in Tim Hudak's failed bid for Ontario premier – and made it easy for viewers to understand," said Paul Morse, president of Unifor Local 87-M.

"In an age of unrelenting political spin-doctoring, Cristina's reportage on a critical labour issue stands out. It's what great journalism is all about."

Howorun covered the entire Ontario Progressive Conservative convention in late 2013 and was the first journalist to break the news of major dissent within Hudak's party over his pledge to introduce Right-To-Work in the province if elected. Ultimately, pressure from within his own ranks forced Hudak to do an about-face on the anti-union policy and drop it from his platform.

Her four-part special report on Right-To-Work took her across the border into three U.S. states that had enacted the legislation for a first-hand look at how the anti-union law affects workers, their communities and their regional economies.

"Cristina Howorun exemplifies the definition of a good journalist – she's tough, impartial, balanced, insightful, and knowledgeable, and her stories connect directly with her viewers," said Randy Kitt, chair of Unifor's 14,000 media workers across Canada. "Her series showed how unions are critical protectors of workers and essential in helping them achieve fair pay, benefits and decent working conditions."

Unifor Local 87-M represents newspaper and broadcast workers across southern Ontario, including at the Toronto Sun, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, London Free Press and Hamilton Spectator. Unifor is the largest private-sector union in Canada representing over 300,000 workers across all major sectors of the economy. It was formed last year through the merger of the Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) and the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers (CEP).

SOURCE: Unifor Local 87-M

Paul Morse, 905-536-5650