Daniel MacIsaac
Northern News Services

NNSL (Feb 05/99) - Canadian Broadcasting Corporation English-network management and worker representatives remain divided over both contract terms and the potential of a strike as they head into the next round of bargaining.

Dan Oldfield, senior staff representative for the Canadian Media Guild, said Tuesday that a strike is likely.

"It could come in early March, when realistically you'll see 6,000 CBC employees out on the streets across the country," he said, speaking from Saskatoon, Sask.

CBC English-language network workers are divided into three units. Unit 1 includes approximately 3,300 production workers like on-air personnel and researchers; Unit 2 includes 2,800 technical personnel in areas such as lighting and set construction and Unit 3 includes an approximately 900-member administration group. The CMG represent Units 1 and 3 while the Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union represents Unit 2.

Unit 2 will meet with CBC management and a federal conciliator from Feb. 10 to 12 in Toronto. The CMG returns to the table Feb. 15, but Oldfield was pessimistic.

"I believe that at midnight on Feb. 12 the first wave of strikes will hit the CBC," he said.

Oldfield said Unit 1's contract expired Sept. 28 and, though bargaining began in June, money and job security have become stumbling blocks.

Speaking from Toronto on Wednesday, Cathy Sprague, director of human resources for CBC English networks, said an across-the-board wage rise has been offered. But she said she did not want to comment on Oldfield's assertion that employees are concerned that CBC will contract out work in new areas such as the Internet and satellite communications to private-sector companies.

"That's an issue that's on the table, but it's better to talk about it at the table," she said. "We're not in the final stages and don't want to do any damage to the bargaining."

Though all three units are without contracts, Sprague said negotiations are part of routine procedure.

"We're very optimistic that we can solve this and that there won't be a strike disruption," she said.

But Oldfield said CBC members, including the 118 NWT employees, have not had an across-the-board raise since 1992 and are frustrated.

"I don't know how long a strike would be, I never bet on a short one, but it will be nasty," he said, "There's a real anger among the people."