National Post newsroom workers filing for union certification, vote to come

TORONTO – CWA Canada says a majority of staff in the National Post’s newsrooms in Toronto and Ottawa have signed cards to support forming a union.

The media union says it has filed a certification application with the Ontario Labour Relations Board, which is to organize a vote by the newspaper’s staff within the next week.

Union president Martin O’Hanlon says the drive is about protecting jobs and journalism.

Postmedia has made significant staff reductions across its daily newspapers, including the Post, in recent years as it works to cut costs to deal with dwindling advertising revenue.

The unionization drive follows a controversy over retention bonuses paid to several top Postmedia executives while the company cut staff.

Postmedia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

CWA Canada represents staff at several news organizations including The Canadian Press and Postmedia newspapers in Toronto and Ottawa.