Globe staff reach tentative deal, averting strike action
Union representatives at the Globe and Mail reached a tentative agreement with the company’s management just hours before its midnight deadline, averting a strike at one of Canada’s largest newspapers during the hottest news cycle of the year.
The agreement will be put to a ratification vote Thursday when details of the agreement are shared with Globe workers, the Star was told.
The union had threatened to strike starting Thursday unless a deal was met to boost wages and improve diversity and gender equality in the newsroom. Unifor Local 87-M has never gone on strike, but union representatives told employees and contract workers they were ready to hit the picket lines if key demands weren’t met.
“We are ready to walk out over not just one issue, but many,” the representatives wrote in an email to contract workers and freelancers last week.
According to union representatives, the Globe had proposed stronger disciplinary tools to fast-track dismissals and job transfers, and refused to raise general wages even to match the rate of inflation.
The union also noted that management refused “to acknowledge or remedy” structural pay gaps among editorial employees.
“Despite internal pledges to better diversity and inclusion practices in the workplace, the Globe refuses to commit to binding goals to improve the makeup of its workforce, from new employees to newsroom leadership at all levels,” the union wrote.
“The Globe has also refused proposals for greater accountability and transparency, either internal or public, on its hiring and pay practices.”
The union had also asked freelancers and contract workers to consider a temporary boycott on any work or assignments from management.
“The key to the Globe’s success is the talent behind its headlines, reporting, photography, illustrations, data, videos, audio — everything it takes to produce and support worldclass journalism,” union representatives wrote.
“We believe we have significant leverage on our own as employees, but support from the freelance community would add greater weight to any job action we take.”
The union was prepared to operate its own news website, called “Globe Nation,” until a deal with management was met.
Neither the union nor management revealed details of the tentative agreement reached Wednesday evening, though sources told the Star that details would be made public on Thursday.
The Globe did not respond to the Star’s request for comment.