3 laid off at Global Okanagan
Local layoffs among Global News cuts across Canada affecting almost 80 jobs
Corus Entertainment has cut nearly 80 jobs, mostly in traditional TV production, at Global News newsrooms across Canada as part of a restructuring geared toward boosting online coverage.
Three people were laid off at the Global Okanagan newsroom, Jerry Dias, national president of Unifor, the union representing some Global employees, said in an interview with The Daily Courier.
Those layoffs included one full-time producer and two cameramen, he said. “What you’re losing is boots on the ground,” said Dias. Global Okanagan told the Courier it had no comment on the layoffs Thursday afternoon.
In total, almost 80 jobs were cut across Canada, including 69 Unifor members.
In Vancouver, 21 employees — the most of any local operation — were laid off.
“It’s not a surprise so far as the media sector has been under attack,” said Dias. “The ultimate solution can’t be about just buying people out and moving them on. The broader discussion has to be about how to save the industry. It can’t all be about economics.”
In the past five to six years, about 10,000 media jobs have been cut across Canada, including 3,000 cuts in the television industry during the past two years, said Dias.
Global News will add about 50 new positions, mostly journalists who will file for new, local versions of the company’s news website in Ottawa, Kitchener, Guelph and Barrie, the company said in a story posted on Global News online. The company already operates 18 local websites.
“With digital platforms, our audience no longer is tied to just the locations where we have TV and radio licences, so we will be adding journalists to cover local news in markets where we see opportunity created by the recent closure or consolidation of local newspapers,” said Troy Reeb, senior vice-president of Global News and Corus Radio.
Employees who lost their jobs and qualify will be able to apply for the new positions, the company said.
The company also plans to expand its international content and launch a podcast production team.
“The introduction of new technology as it relates to the digital change of the industry is one thing, but there also has to be government decisions about whether or not local voices are important,” said Dias.
The CRTC paved the way for the cuts by watering down the obligations for big media companies like Corus to protect local news, said Dias.
A Global source, who requested anonymity, said among the employees who was let go was longtime news reporter Blaine Gaffney. (Union officials would not confirm Gaffney has parted ways with Global.)