CBC management has responded to a Canadian Media Guild statement accusing the Corporation of leaving too many people in “temporary” positions, when they should have been hired as permanent staff.

The CBC, no surprise, denies the charge. Further, it says the CMG “abandoned several months of good faith problem-solving discussions where substantial information was shared in favour of commencing this arbitration.”

The CBC-CMG collective agreement negotiated in 2005 after a prolonged and bitter lockout, gives the CBC greater flexibility in being able to hire contract and temporary employees and freelancers.

• Restrictions regarding who, what, where, when, why, and how CBC engaged contract employees were eliminated. The only restriction on the use of contract employees was a numeric cap: 9.5% plus 80 positions of the permanent workforce (or about 11.5%).
• For temporary employees, the reasons for which CBC can engage temporary employees were expanded. There is no numeric restriction for temps, rather there are reasons that must be followed in order to engage temporary employees.

The CBC says the Guild insists that temporary staff can only be used for backfill and special events or projects. CBC management says the reasons it can hire temps are much broader than that.

The Corporation says the use of temporary employees (engaged in excess of thirteen weeks) is at a historical low at CBC. In 1994, it was 11% of its permanent workforce. Today, the CBC says it is at about 6%. Further, it says use of short term temporary employees is pretty much the same as it was before the 2005 collective agreement was negotiated.

Earlier this week, Net Pub Eng (the CBC email address that sends out all-staff announcements within the English service) sent out an email saying a change had been made to the H.R. policy. It provided an intranet link to the new policy, but didn’t spell out what the changes were.

I asked CBC’s human resources department for some clarification about what had actually changed.

Here are the key changes:

1. Payment of unused leave may now be made unilaterally for Management, Confidential and APS employees.
2. Payment of unused leave will be calculated at the rate the leave was earned.
3. Reinforce Management accountability to ensure leave is scheduled and taken.
4. Preserve Management’s ability to authorize leave based on operational requirements.
5. Contract employees must take their leave before the conclusion of their term, or have the balance paid out if a new contract or extension is issued.

Annual leave guidelines for unionized employees remain as per the applicable collective agreement.

Does this affect you? How do you feel about it?
P.S. This blog lives outside the CBC network. You will not be identified by posting.