Evidence of meeting #20 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was cbc.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, CBC Branch, Canadian Media Guild
We have some idea of which sections will have layoffs, but people do not know exactly who or which positions will be targeted.
Liberal
President, Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada
Not yet. As I said, a voluntary retirement program has been offered. I have not yet learned the outcome of the program. Things will follow their course. We were not consulted about which program—
President, CBC Branch, Canadian Media Guild
We were consulted about the process, but we have not yet been informed about which positions and individuals will be affected.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Okay.
How is CBC/Radio-Canada taking regional priorities into account? How can it maintain a local presence if it is laying off so many people? Has it said that it will not touch the regions? Will people in the regions with less seniority not lose their jobs? I just want a basic understanding of the process.
President, Syndicat des communications de Radio-Canada
My understanding—Marc-Philippe can fill in the details—is that the broadcaster wants to proceed according to its mission. CBC/Radio-Canada told us that it wanted to protect news gathering, for example. In the regions, it will be keeping people responsible for news gathering. Consequently, teams will not be able to go on the air or maintain news-focused programs—such as on RDI—because there are no more teams or equipment anywhere, whether that is in Moncton or Quebec City, where I work.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
Okay.
Newspapers have talked about an additional 5% to be cut from the $1.1 billion budget from Ottawa. That is huge. That is an additional $56 million in cuts.
What does that mean for you in terms of jobs?
President, CBC Branch, Canadian Media Guild
That is pretty easy to figure out: 800 jobs represents about $60 million.
President, CBC Branch, Canadian Media Guild
We have been cut to the bone, Mr. Rodriguez. CBC/Radio-Canada services are now in danger. I am not talking about parts of services, but entire services.
Liberal
Pablo Rodriguez Liberal Honoré-Mercier, QC
That is not counting the sale of assets. The cuts to CBC/Radio-Canada were approved. Are they talking about similar cuts? If they cut another $56 million, that could mean several hundred jobs, as many as 800.
President, CBC Branch, Canadian Media Guild
We should not talk about the cuts in terms of jobs. My president could probably give you more details about that.
National President, Canadian Media Guild
First of all, to put $50 million in perspective, you're looking at a quarter of the entire budget of English radio. You're looking at a third of the budget of French radio.
I mean, $50 million is a lot of money at the CBC. Let's say that the strategic review goes through and the CBC does what it has been asked to do, which is to identify things that could be cut. Let's say that at the end of the day, a year from now, the government doesn't cut. We don't know. It's a threatened cut, and it's sitting there. Let's say that it doesn't cut. We still have an enormous problem of chronic underfunding, years and years of funding that has not caught up to the cost of living. And it's way below international standards.
Conservative
Bloc
Carole Lavallée Bloc Saint-Bruno—Saint-Hubert, QC
Thank you.
Along the same lines, you have lost 800 jobs. Assets worth $125 million will soon be sold. You are losing advertising revenue and experiencing audience fragmentation. Also, in some places, like Abitibi, nothing was cut because there was nothing left to cut.
How are people handling these job losses? What is left to cut? Are you involved in the strategic review?
Go ahead, Ms. Larouche.
President, Fédération nationale des communications
The last I heard, we are not participating in the strategic review, nor are the unions part of—
President, Fédération nationale des communications
No, and it is pretty clear that they do not necessarily want to know what we think.
