FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Press Release – December 10, 2007

CEP Local 816M will challenge CTV Winnipeg’s unfair mandatory retirement policy before an arbitration board on December 11 & 12, 2007. 

CTV celebrated the 65th birthday of a long-serving member of their engineering staff by handing him his pink slip. This corporation says if you’re 65, you’re too old and it’s time to retire. Well, unless you’re a popular on-air personality who continues to read the news for the CTV national network well into his 70’s . 

CTV does not question the competency or physical ability of this engineering employee.  The station simply takes the rigid view that its national policy prevents it from further employing the engineer in spite of his long-term loyalty to the station. 

In Manitoba, there has not been mandatory retirement since the 1970’s but because broadcast employees are regulated by federal legislation, CTV argues that the normal retirement age for employees working in a comparable field is uniformly 65.  The Union disputes the company’s position and points to the absence of mandatory retirement requirements at other Canadian networks such as CBC and APTN. 

With today’s economic and labour market  pressures, as well as  retirement plans that under-perform, retirement at 65 is no longer an option for many Canadians and is questionable for the overall Canadian economy. National statistics demonstrate workers are living longer.  Some of them want to work longer and some with limited pensions are forced to find work to supplement their earnings. 

The arbitration will take place at Place Louis Riel, 190 Smith Street in Winnipeg.

CEP Local 816M represents about 50 employees at Winnipeg’s CTV station. CEP represents 150,000 working people coast to coast in energy, paper, telecommunications, media and commercial printing.

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