Ming Pao newspaper staff reach second agreement

Deal fair to staff and company, union says

TORONTO, May 25, 2014 /CNW/ - The unionized newspaper staff at Ming Pao Daily in Toronto have voted 95 percent in favour of a new two-year collective agreement.

"We are very happy to re-negotiate a good union contract with this company without the need for a strike, litigation or even mediation," said union spokesperson Wesley Chua, a copy editor at the popular Chinese language daily.

The agreement covers about 130 editorial, advertising, production and administrative staff represented by Unifor Local 87-M.

"The company brought a very professional attitude to the bargaining table, and we reached an agreement that is fair to both the staff and the company," Chua said.

Ming Pao staff reached a first collective agreement in 2012 but only after an eight-week strike and the intervention of the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which imposed a union contract after negotiations failed.

The new contract ratified Sunday includes cost of living wage raises, better severance pay, improvements for part-time employees, and no concessions.

Unifor Local 87-M represents 2,600 unionized media employees across Ontario, including employees at the Toronto Star, Globe and Mail, Sing Tao Daily, Macleans and Toronto Sun.

SOURCE: Unifor Local 87-M

Howard Law, Unifor, 416-456-1875