1999 CBC strike

1999 labour strike in Canada September 2026September 2026 1999 CBC strike February 17 – April 3, 1999(02 17 1999 04 03 1999) Canada (except Moncton and Quebec) Disagreements over the terms of a new labour contract Increased wages and job security * Picketing Strike action Walkout Union members receive wage increases of between 10 to 11 percent and job security guarantees Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Canadian Broadcasting Corporation 1,800 In February 1999, about 1,800 technicians at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) went on strike. The workers were represented by the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP) and were striking due to disagreements between the company and the union over a new labour contract, with the two sides being unable to reach a deal on wages and job security. The strike lasted from February 17 to April 3 and ended with a compromise deal between the two parties. The strike resulted in a decline in ratings for CBC's television programming during the dispute and resulted in production disruptions for several of the corporations' shows and movies. Background In early 1999, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) was engaged in negotiations with the Communications, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada (CEP).November 11, 2000 February 17, 1999 Strike disrupts CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/strike-disrupts-cbc-1.188013 live https://web.archive.org/web/20250420203816/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/strike-disrupts-cbc-1.188013 April 20, 2025 September 21, 2026 CBC.ca CBC News The labour union represented about 1,800 technicians within the company,Tillson Tamsen February 21, 1999 Technicians' strike keeps CBC on ice https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/technicians-strike-keeps-cbc-on-ice-1117491503/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20260921174149/https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/technicians-strike-keeps-cbc-on-ice-1117491503/ September 21, 2026 September 21, 2026 Variety 0042-2738 60626328 which had a total staff of about 10,000 at that time.Tillson Tamsen February 17, 1999 Workers strike CBC on job security, money https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/workers-strike-cbc-on-job-security-money-1117491435/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20260921174931/https://variety.com/1999/tv/news/workers-strike-cbc-on-job-security-money-1117491435/ September 21, 2026 September 21, 2026 Variety 0042-2738 60626328 The previous labour contract between the company and union had expired in June 1998, with the union members working without a contract for several months after that. In mid-February 1999, the two sides participated in three straight days of negotiations that were overseen by a mediator. The main points of contention centered on job security and wages.March 6, 1999 A Vote to Join CBC Strike https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/06/business/a-vote-to-join-cbc-strike.html subscription live https://web.archive.org/web/20170915232228/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/06/business/a-vote-to-join-cbc-strike.html September 15, 2017 September 21, 2026 The New York Times 2 0362-4331 1645522 Bloomberg News On February 16, representatives of the CBC submitted a formal proposal that would have given union members a payment of about $700 (equivalent to $CA 700 1999 -2 c in CA) during the first year of the contract, in addition to three percent wage increases that would go into effect on June 1, 1999, and June 1, 2000. Additionally, 434 employees in Toronto and Vancouver would have had their base salaries increased by $2,000 ($CA 2,000 1999 -2 c in CA) in order to bring them up to the industry standard. One percent of the overall payroll towards CEP employees over the next two years would also have been spent on what the CBC called "job evaluation initiatives". However, the union was seeking a three-year deal that would have seen annual wage increases of five percent, in addition to a job safety guarantee for the first two years of the contract. The union said that technicians with the CBC were underpaid relative to technicians who worked for private sector broadcasters, who the union said made up to 30 percent more, though these figures were debated by the company. At the time, annual wages ranged from $18,000 ($CA 18,000 1999 -3 c in CA) for assistants to $56,000 ($CA 56,000 1999 -3 c in CA) for video journalists,note A video journalist position involved work as both a camera operator and a reporter. with camera operators making an average of roughly $45,000 ($CA 45,000 1999 -3 c in CA). Course of the strike The strike began shortly after midnight on February 17, 1999, with about 1,800 technicians performing a walkout.Tillson Tamsen March 21, 1999 CBC pact avoids strike https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/cbc-pact-avoids-strike-1117492503/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20260921174441/https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/cbc-pact-avoids-strike-1117492503/ September 21, 2026 September 21, 2026 Variety 0042-2738 60626328Kelly Brendan April 5, 1999 CBC technicians' strike ends https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/cbc-technicians-strike-ends-1117492934/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20241109115925/https://variety.com/1999/biz/news/cbc-technicians-strike-ends-1117492934/ November 9, 2024 September 21, 2026 Variety 0042-2738 60626328 Most of Canada was affected, with the major exceptions of the province of Quebec and the New Brunswick city of Moncton, where technicians were represented by a different union. The strike affected broadcasts for both CBC Radio and CBC Television, with networks in some areas, including as Ottawa and Vancouver, going off the air. In many regions, networks aired documentaries and reruns, and CBC News: Morning was replaced with a pretaped program. Several nontechnical workers who were represented by the Canadian Media Guild (CMG), which counted about 3,300 CBC employees, supported the strikers by honoring their picket lines and not reporting for work. The same day that the strike began, the CBC requested an injunction to force nontechnical workers to return to work, and within several days, CMG workers had fully returned to work. However, on March 6, the CMG announced that its members had voted to authorize strike action against the CBC, with 85.5 percent of voting members opting in favour. On the night of February 20, CEP members planned to picket outside of the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, where the Toronto Maple Leafs were going to play their first game in the newly constructed arena against the Montreal Canadiens. However, an injunction prevented picketing outside of the arena and the CBC broadcast the game without any incident. Union officials accused the company of lying to a judge in order to gain the injunction. By February 21, the CBC was still primarily airing reruns and what reporter Tamsen Tillson of Variety referred to as "[s]eat-of-the-pants live programming". On March 12, CBC News reported that the company had had to withdraw from negotiations for the rights to broadcast Soiree '99, an event held at Memorial Stadium in St. John's, Newfoundland, to celebrate the anniversary of Newfoundland's accession into Canada.March 12, 1999 CBC bows out of Soiree '99 deal https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-bows-out-of-soiree-99-deal-1.179735 live https://web.archive.org/web/20260921172109/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-bows-out-of-soiree-99-deal-1.179735 September 21, 2026 September 21, 2026 CBC.ca CBC News The decision had been made due to the impact of the labour dispute and led to rival television corporation CTV Television Network gaining the broadcasting rights. On March 21, Variety reported that the CBC and the CEP were in negotiations, with a company spokesperson saying that they were hopeful that a deal could soon be reached to bring the strike to an end. Several days earlier, on March 19, the CBC and the CMG had reached a tentative agreement for a new three-year labour contract. This averted a potential strike, as CMG members in several jurisdictions had planned to stage a walkout that day. However, in a show of support for the CEP, the CMG said that it would not ratify any new deal with the CBC until an agreement had been reached between the company and the technicians. On March 22, Playback reported that negotiations were still underway between the CBC and three unions: the CEP, the CMG, and the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), which represented office workers.Edwards Ian March 22, 1999 CBC strike sees prod falter, ads maintained https://playbackonline.ca/1999/03/22/24957-19990322/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20180907163333/http://playbackonline.ca/1999/03/22/24957-19990322/ September 7, 2018 September 21, 2026 Playback Brunico Communications 0836-2114 1002325906 On April 3, CEP members voted to approve a deal with the CBC that would bring an end to the strike, with about 93 percent of voters in favour of the deal.April 3, 1999 CBC technicians' strike officially over https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-technicians-strike-officially-over-1.169014 live https://web.archive.org/web/20260921171504/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/cbc-technicians-strike-officially-over-1.169014 September 21, 2026 September 21, 2026 CBC.ca CBC News Some members returned to work later that day to work on the production for the broadcast of the Calgary Flames–Toronto Maple Leafs ice hockey game, though most workers returned the following week. As part of the agreement, the union received some additional job security guarantees from the company and union members received wage increases of between 10 to 11 percent over the next 37 months. Mike Sullivan, the union's national representative, said concerning the agreement, "Our members are very, very happy with this deal and that the strike is over." Aftermath and legacy The strike was the first one involving technicians at the CBC since a walkout in 1981 that lasted three months. According to reporter Brendan Kelly of Variety, the strike "crippled" the CBC's radio and television operations. Several productions were affected by the labour dispute. Possibly most notably, production was temporarily halted on Must Be Santa, a television film which was considered the company's biggest film project up to that point. Production on the film had begun on February 10, shortly before the strike began. Other CBC productions that were either halted or impacted by the strike included the television programs Foolish Heart, Hockey Talk, Pacific Rim, Pamela Wallin Live, Royal Canadian Air Farce, and This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Hockey Night in Canada continued to air during the strike, which reporter Ian Edwards of Playback attributed to "an all-out effort to continue the program without interruption" given its status as "the lucrative hallmark production of the public broadcaster". Additionally, some production work was outsourced by the CBC to other companies, such as Roadhouse Productions of Toronto. According to Variety, the ratings for CBC Television's main network decreased by roughly 20 percent during the strike, while the news program The National saw a 15 percent decline. See also History of broadcasting in Canada Labor dispute disruptions of sports on television List of strikes in Canada Timeline of strikes in 1999 Timeline of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Notes note References Further reading Nesbitt-Larking Paul https://www.google.com/books/edition/Politics_Society_and_the_Media_Second_Ed/aPL69REwHCEC Politics, Society, and the Media Broadview Press 2007 978-1-55111-812-3 2nd Peterborough, Ontario 168 2006905987 74028956 Category:1999 in Canada Category:1999 in Canadian television Category:1999 labor disputes and strikes Category:Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Category:History of radio in Canada Category:Labour disputes in Canada Category:February 1999 in Canada Category:March 1999 in Canada Category:April 1999 in Canada