TVO workers rally ahead of possible strike Friday

For the first time in its decades-long history, unionized workers at Ontario’s publicly-funded education television network, TVO, are poised to walk off the job on Friday.

The looming strike by Canadian Media Guild (CMG) employees at TVO comes after a unanimous vote in favour of strike action last February.

Workers are seeking better job security and higher pay after their collective agreement expired in October 2022.

“TVO has received no inflationary increase in base funding from the provincial government for many years,” CMG said in a release after the vote results were announced.”

A rally was held in Toronto on Wednesday ahead of the Friday deadline.

Right now, TVO_CMG workers will be picketing outside of 2180 Yonge Street. We are on the verge of a strike for the first time in the history of TVO. After a decade plus of wage erosion, underfunding, the systematic attempt to destroy job security, we are taking to the street pic.twitter.com/BcQqDPNc4n

— Eric Bombicino (@ebombicino) August 16, 2023

Interim Liberal leader, John Fraser, was among those on hand supporting workers.

He called TVO “a public good.”

“It’s about education, it’s about making sure political news in this province can be disseminated. What they simply want is some security. That’s what people need. And if you want to have a good strong TVO you have to bargain fairly.”

Fraser suggested that TVO is not a priority to Premier Doug Ford.

“I don’t think this is important to the premier,” he said. “I don’t think the premier understands how important TVO is, the history of TVO in this province.

“The premier is actually more invisible than Polkeroo on this,” he added, referring to the elusive Polka Dot Door character.

A Canadian Media Guild employee holds up a sign at a TVO rally ahead of a possible walk out on Friday. CMG/HO

The union claims the following issues are stalling progress at the bargaining table (CMG release).

• Ontario’s Ministry of Education has given the order to create only temporary contract jobs at TVO, even if the work is permanent in nature. By keeping workers in precarious contracts, TVO is denying workers health benefits, dismantling job security, and impairing the stability needed to deliver strong public services for all Ontarians.
• The offer of 2.75%, 2.5%, and 1.75% increases over three years with a potential 1.75% raise for a fourth year is well below the wage improvements workers need during an affordability crisis. It also comes after below-inflation increases since 2012, including three years of zero increases from 2012-2014.

The union goes on to say the offer “is well below the increases obtained in the latest noteworthy education, energy and health care Provincial settlements.”

Government sources provided the following statement to CityNews.

“The Ministry of Education continues to partner with TVO on Mathify online tutoring for students, digital learning resources for classrooms and at-home, and the development of online learning courses to support school-board delivery of online learning across the province.”

Steve Paikin, the face of TVO and host of its flagship show The Agenda, joined Wednesday’s rally.

And while Paikin admitted he is well paid, he said the same can’t be said for younger employees.

“The issue is clearly not about my salary which I’m delighted with and is fine … but there’s a lot of 20 and 30-year-olds who are making $20-30,000 less than people who do similar work at other media outlets, but as much as they love their jobs … they’ve decided in their wisdom something has got to change. And so I’m out here to show my support for my colleagues.

“We took a vote on this recently and nearly 100 per cent of the people in the union decided if we don’t see some movement (in negotiations) then we do the one thing that we are able to do and that’s withdraw our labour.”

With files from Richard Southern