By: Mark Fitzgerald Management and union representatives at The Globe and Mail scheduled a new bargaining session for Tuesday -- the eve of a possible walkout by organized employees.
In a note to readers Monday, Globe and Mail Publisher and CEO Philip Crawley vowed to publish the paper despite a strike.
Over the weekend, union workers overwhelmingly rejected the newspaper's latest contract offer. The vote by editorial, advertising and circulation workers was 260 to 32 in opposition.
The Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union, representing about 500 workers, has set a strike deadline of one minute past midnight Wednesday. The newspaper has said it will not lock out workers if no agreement is reached before the deadline.
Management has proposed a six-year contract with a compounded salary increase amounting to 7.2% over the life of the contract. Management also is asking for one unpaid week each year for all employees, and an increase in the work day from 7 to 7.5 hours with no extra pay for the half-hour increase. Also, overtime would be paid at straight time for the first half hour after the end of a normal shift.
"Our purpose is to protect the long-term viability of The Globe and Mail by achieving a negotiated settlement that enables the company to better manage its cost structure while safeguarding the interests of employees and shareholders," Crawley said in the note to readers.
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