Job cuts at Toronto Star a heavy blow, says union

TORONTO, Aug. 9, 2016 /CNW/ - The union representing Toronto Star employees says job cuts announced today are a punch in the gut at one of Canada's top daily newspapers.

"This is a very difficult day for many exceptional people at the Toronto Star who deliver extraordinary journalism daily, in print, through the tablet, and on the web," said Paul Morse, president of Unifor Local 87-M.

The newsroom will see 19 full-time unionized journalists lose their job, including editors, reporters, cartoonists and video editors. Another 26 contract employees who work on the Toronto Star Touch tablet and in other digital areas are also affected.

"Job cuts of this magnitude are a heavy blow. The union will work hard to ameliorate the impacts of this downsizing in any way that it can."

Unifor Local 87-M represents about 2,400 media workers across southern Ontario, including the Globe and Mail, Metroland papers and 14 Postmedia daily newspapers.

Unifor is Canada's largest private-sector union with over 310,000 members in all sectors of the economy, including 14,000 in media across the country.

SOURCE Unifor Local 87-M

Jim Rankin, Star union executive, 416-805-0104