Ciao Bella

This week we celebrated the long career of a favorite staff rep. Kathy Viner fought for better pay, pensions,benefits and working conditions for CMG members for nearly 30 years. (And loved every minute of it! ahh) So she says. Union work can be both satisfying and frustrating. Satisfying in that you really do make the world a better place, and frustrating because there is so much to do. Many of us start off as volunteers helping colleagues through a bureaucratic maze,
but working for a union is also a challenging, rewarding career that many people would love as much as Kathy did. (She's off to Italy now to enjoy her freedom!) Ciao Bella.

A Sad Day

Jack Layton was a charismatic politician who spoke up for the kind and gentle side of politics. He was all heart, brains and compassion. An outspoken friend of the working class, if you met him in person, he was impossible not to like. We'll miss his cheery welcome at the Labour Day Parade in Toronto, I don't think he ever missed it. He was an enthusiastic supporter of public broadcasting and a voice for reason and compassion in many public debates. We will miss him.

Embracing Change

An outdated term I try not to use anymore is visible minority. In cities like Toronto and Vancouver more than half the population is culturally mixed. (Stats Can predicts 60% will be
" visible minorities" by 2031.) So obviously the term is just plain wrong. We know from recent news reports the UN disapproves. But put yourself in your neighbors shoes, who wants to be called a viz min? Remember not so long ago when we stopped using fire and police MEN and started using firefighter, police officer; or calling actresses - actors. We can find a better way again.
Great article in Vancouver Sun
http://communities.canada.com/vancouversun/blogs/thesearch/archive/2010/03/17/has-the-term-visible-minority-outlived-its-usefulness.aspx

Forget Free Work

Should young journalists work for free (as unpaid interns)? A brave young journalist
has publiclly criticized the industry for its increasing and selfish reliance on free labour by forcing young journalists to work as unpaid interns. Bethany Horne's personal pet peeve is it only allows students from families with money to get into jouranlism because anyone who needs an income can't afford to work for free...and that this defeats industry attempts to hire more diverse staff. It's a bold, thoughtful article that has generated heated debate, and may encourage companies with a conscience to reexamine the practise.


From The Canadian Journalism Project
http://j-source.ca/article/one-j-student-explains-why-she-will-no-longer-work-free

One for All

The digital revolution is dazzling in the speed it has changed our lives. CD are on their way out already (remember when they were new), not to mention the family bonding over the evening news. Now everyone watches on their own time, on their own personal platform. This increasingly diverse delivery has techie guru and author Don Tapscott musing on the difficulties of sharing common interests in the public good in the future. In a thoughtful article in the Toronto Star recently Tapscott opines that alone is a significant reason to support a strong, national broadcaster. Of course I agree!

http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorialopinion/article/1032448--a-new-reason-to-support-the-cbc

Moms' Hero

A Toronto couple just won a precedent setting court case that will help thousands of new moms. I'm proud to say the new dad is a CMG member. SR thought it was grossly unfair a woman on maternity leave who became ill (his wife was diagnosed & treated for breast cancer), couldn't get extra paid time off for illness; that others NOT on mat leave could get. First he got mad, then they went to court. Now any other new mom who gets sick, may benefit! (as long as its not appealed)! SR says it bothered him to think that a single mom who gets ill, would be out the $6,000 she could have got from EI, on top of coping with sickness and a new baby. From his note to me; "one of the reasons I became involved in the union.. unions are one of the few organizations that can support such actions that lead to greater equality and justice". Congrats and thank you SR, your lovely wife N, and baby Aris.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1025199--toronto-mom-with-breast-cancer-wins-ei-case?bn=1

All For One

..and one for all. The upside of the flagrant union bashing going on in the US (and the less obvious bashing going on here); is it is bringing unions together. We realize we have to work together to support gains like decent pension plans and fair working conditions or we all suffer. In the US non-unionized workers and small businesses are also coming out to oppose crushing cuts to social programs and services. If unions can't help improve general living conditions for everyone, who can? United we have a voice.