Media workers ink first collective agreement at online-only news site Canoe

TORONTO, June 4, 2016 /CNW/ - Canoe employees have ratified what's believed to be Canada's first union contract for a standalone online news site. 

Employees at Canoe, part of Postmedia's Sun Media division, certified a union a year ago and have been engaged in bargaining ever since. 

About two months ago, employees voted to give their bargaining committee authority to call a strike if necessary. Bargaining continued until a tentative deal was reached Monday. 

Employees voted in favour of the first contract by a wide margin on Thursday. 

The deal gives the 15 employees 50 pages of rights that didn't exist before, including protection from unjustified dismissal, a grievance process, scheduling rules, enshrined benefit and pension rights, job protection language and a wage grid to be implemented ‪on May 25, 2017. 

Next year, employees will get their first raise in several years and their contract expiry will be aligned with the Toronto Sun contract, giving the Canoe unit more bargaining power for future contracts. 

Unifor Local 87-M represents about 2,500 media workers across southern Ontario, including the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, the Toronto Sun and 13 other Postmedia newspapers. www.unifor87m.org. www.facebook.com/unifor87m/.

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

Paul Morse, president, Local 87-M, [email protected], cell 905-536-5650