TORONTO, 27 June 2024 /CNW/ – Unifor is deeply concerned and outraged that Bell Media has again announced restructuring plans, this time involving the termination of nearly 50 Unifor media employees.
“This is a company that made billions in profits at the end of last year and continues to follow its principle of ‘profit before people,'” said Unifor National President Lana Payne.
“This is another blow to journalism and democracy and a step towards greater news deserts in Canada.”
Unifor has been informed that 49 unionized jobs in Locals 79-M and 723-M may be affected as a result of the company’s so-called “Willow” plan to relocate its Toronto News channels CP24, BNN and NewsTalk 1010, to Agincourt, Ontario.
The company plans to consolidate these channels with its existing channels CTV Toronto, CTV News Channel and CTV National News.
The cuts at Bell Media will particularly impact production staff, including ENG editors and supervisors, media services coordinators, media services technicians, graphic artists, post-sound, AV technicians and technical engineers, to name a few.
In June 2023, Bell cut 1,300 media jobs and laid off 4,800 employees in February of this year, including 100 in media, as news was broadcast at noon on all CTV stations except Torontoand weekend news on all CTV and CTV2 channels, except in Toronto, Montreal And Ottawa was cancelled.
Earlier this year, Unifor launched its “Shame on Bell” campaign to criticize BCE’s board for decimating Bell’s media department while continuing to increase payouts to shareholders.
The cuts at Bell are the second major blow to local news this month.
At 12th of June35 Unifor members were laid off at Global News as part of the restructuring by Corus Entertainment Inc. There were 13 layoffs in Calgaryseven in Torontoeight in Edmontonthree in Lethbridgethree in Ottawaand one in BC
The 35 cuts at Global TV were in addition to the company’s 11 Unifor members already laid off in 2024.
Unifor represents more than 10,000 media professionals, including 5,000 members in the broadcast and film industries.
Unifor is Canada’s largest trade union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in all major sectors of the economy. The union advocates for all workers and their rights, fighting for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad and strives to bring about progressive change for a better future.
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