Tories would have veto power over CBC management hires under Bill C-60, union says

The federal Conservative government could use new powers in its budget implementation bill to veto CBC/Radio-Canada's selections to fill senior management positions, including a vacancy for executive vice-president of English services, said the president of a union representing 5,000 CBC employees. Marc-Philippe Laurin, CBC branch president at the Canadian Media Guild, said in a interview that Bill C-60, introduced in the House of Commons on April 29, will give the government broad powers to veto the hiring of staff in non-unionized, management positions. CBC has also said it is concerned the bill would give the government control over some collective bargaining. “The bill, when you read section 17, it talks about signing off, signing off on bargaining packages and on deals that are signed. In essence, that’s a veto,” Laurin said. “If they have the right to sign off on it, they would have the right to veto it.” Laurin referred to Division 17 of the bill, which says cabinet would have “the authority to direct a Crown corporation to obtain the Treasury Board’s approval before the Crown corporation fixes the terms and conditions of employment of certain of its non-unionized employees.” According to the bill, the federal cabinet would also have the authority to direct Crown corporations to seek Treasury Board approval of their mandates going into collective bargaining negotiations with unions, as first reported this month by The Hill Times. The bill would also give the Treasury Board the authority to sit in on Crown corporations’ negotiations with unions and require Treasury Board approval before entering agreements. In an emailed statement last week, CBC spokesman Angus McKinnon said non-unionized CBC employees include those “who perform management functions (hire/fire/discipline, etc,) or those employed in a confidential capacity in matters relating to industrial relations.” Laurin said C-60 would give the government the power to scrutinize, and potentially veto, CBC’s hiring for non-unionized positions. “For example, if wants to hire a certain person to be the executive vice-president of English services, and like that person or they don’t like the deal, they have the authority to sign off,” he said, adding: “Sign off means veto.” Ian Morrison, spokesman for watchdog group the Friends of Canadian Broadcasting, said in a phone interview that there is a danger that the government could restrict CBC's ability to compete with private sector employers for talent in management positions. He said any government interference in CBC's hiring would circumvent the board of directors' authority to run the public broadcaster, as stipulated under the Broadcasting Act. “If the government, for example, controlled the salary ranges that were available to hire a senior executive, such as the vacant position now of the executive vice-president of English services, it could mean that the people with the right talent might not be available for that job,” he said of the position left vacant when Kirstine Stewart announced her departure from CBC last month. George Smith, CBC's former vice-president of human resources from 1996 to 2010, said in an interview that the government establishes wages for CBC board members, as well as the chair of the board and the CEO. He said there is “no comparison” between the wages and benefits that managers earn at CBC compared to the private sector. “If the salary now becomes even smaller than it is, or was, it’s going to become even more difficult to attract quality people to work for the public broadcaster,” Smith said. “It clearly would have an impact on the CBC’s ability to compete.” Senior on-air positions at CBC, such as those of Peter Mansbridge or George Stroumboulopoulos, would not be affected because they are unionized. In 2011, Conservative MP Brent Rathgeber put questions on the House of Commons order paper seeking the salaries and expenses of CBC broadcasters Mansbridge, Stroumboulopoulos, and CBC president and CEO Hubert Lacroix. Heritage Minister James Moore responded in early 2012, saying the public broadcaster has about 730 employees who earn more than $100,000 a year. Rathgeber has also tabled a private member’s bill in Parliament, Bill C-461, that would prevent CBC from denying access to information requests based on an exception under the law for records related to CBC's “journalistic, creative or programming activities.” Last week, Morrison was part of a news conference on Parliament Hill to present a petition against the bill, which he said had received the support of 130,000 Canadians. C-60, the Conservative government's budget bill, is now being studied at a committee in the House of Commons and is subject to a pre-study in the Senate with a view to passing it before Parliament's summer break. Morrison said the bill could compromise CBC’s independence and ability to report critically on the government if unionized journalists believe they will be negotiating wages with a government representative. Matthew Conway, press secretary for Treasury Board President Tony Clement, said in an emailed statement Tuesday that C-60 would not affect CBC funding or its “independent operation,” which he said is “guaranteed” under the Broadcasting Act. He said Division 17 of Bill C-60 was financially oriented and is similar to Quebec laws that require the minister of the provincial treasury board to sign off on the government's bargaining mandates. “While Crown corporations are independent in their operations, their financial bottom line affects the government’s bottom line. As the responsible steward of taxpayers’ dollars that this government is, we are ensuring that the government has a mechanism in place to protect taxpayers dollars at the bargaining table if necessary,” Conway said. “Compensation costs can be an important element of the financial viability of a Crown corporation, and this amendment provides an option for the government to provide specific direction to a Crown corporation in this respect,” he said. Conway added: “Both the government and Crown Corporations have a responsibility to spend taxpayer dollars wisely. We will work together on this when necessary.” The head of CBC is filled by a cabinet appointment, and last October, Heritage Minister Moore reappointed Lacroix as president and CEO of CBC, where he has served since 2008. The Conservative government’s 2012 federal budget, which cut spending across government departments and agencies, will reduce CBC's $1.1 billion in annual parliamentary appropriations by $115 million starting in 2014-2015. —With reporting by Nicholas Kyonka and nkyonka@thewirereport.ca and editing by Simon Doyle at sdoyle@thewirereport.ca

Tories would have veto power over CBC management hires under Bill C-60, union says

Broadcast | May 13, 2013

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Tories would have veto power over CBC management hires under Bill C-60, union says

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