Comments on: Journal de Montréal lockout begins http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/ Can you think of a better name? Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:11:16 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: The Morning Skate: Ovie’s Goal, Kovy’s Walk and the Mule Skinner Blues - Slap Shot Blog - NYTimes.com http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-63888 The Morning Skate: Ovie’s Goal, Kovy’s Walk and the Mule Skinner Blues - Slap Shot Blog - NYTimes.com Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:25:55 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-63888 [...] who, like many of his co-workers, is writing on the Web site Rue Frontenac since they have been locked out by management for almost a month) that Kovalev had spoken to “friends in the Russian community” and [...] [...] who, like many of his co-workers, is writing on the Web site Rue Frontenac since they have been locked out by management for almost a month) that Kovalev had spoken to “friends in the Russian community” and [...]

]]> By: Jean Naimard http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-60190 Jean Naimard Mon, 26 Jan 2009 22:13:11 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-60190 Ah, yes, divide and rule… This is the same class of arugment as Mario Ducon vowing to cut civil servants benefits because the private sector won’t match those working conditions. Ah, yes, divide and rule… This is the same class of arugment as Mario Ducon vowing to cut civil servants benefits because the private sector won’t match those working conditions.

]]> By: Bill Dunphy http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-60172 Bill Dunphy Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:11:54 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-60172 My sympathies to all concerned. And while journalists across the country might feel very, very jealous about the contract (30 hour week? 1.5x pay on vacations!?) we should not let that blind us to what's going on. What's going on is a seismic shift in our business models - and it has hit and is hitting newsrooms with far less generous contracts. The true cost of producing and distributing information (text, images) is now approaching zero, and consequently the supply of information has exploded. Likewise the supply of advertising has exploded - and thus the price has plummeted. Add to that the concentration of media holdings and the increasing ease with which one can share content and you can see where we are headed. Companies now are blending work done by a writer earning$90,000 a year with work done by a writer earning $35,000 a year; throwing a $88,000 a year photographer's work up against the entire audience's willingness to submit photos for free. We can strike (or be locked out) but the economics of this are, I think going to be unstoppable. You simply can't have such huge disparities in cost and productivity inside a common labour pool. Things will level - and that doesn't usually mean the lower end rising. Arguments, fears, pleadings about quality, won't mean much against these business model shifts. This is facing all of us and we will probably be better off being proactive and involved in the decisions that are being made now, rather than trying to reverse them "sur le trottoir." My sympathies to all concerned.
And while journalists across the country might feel very, very jealous about the contract (30 hour week? 1.5x pay on vacations!?) we should not let that blind us to what's going on.
What's going on is a seismic shift in our business models - and it has hit and is hitting newsrooms with far less generous contracts.
The true cost of producing and distributing information (text, images) is now approaching zero, and consequently the supply of information has exploded.
Likewise the supply of advertising has exploded - and thus the price has plummeted.
Add to that the concentration of media holdings and the increasing ease with which one can share content and you can see where we are headed. Companies now are blending work done by a writer earning$90,000 a year with work done by a writer earning $35,000 a year; throwing a $88,000 a year photographer's work up against the entire audience's willingness to submit photos for free.
We can strike (or be locked out) but the economics of this are, I think going to be unstoppable. You simply can't have such huge disparities in cost and productivity inside a common labour pool. Things will level - and that doesn't usually mean the lower end rising.
Arguments, fears, pleadings about quality, won't mean much against these business model shifts.
This is facing all of us and we will probably be better off being proactive and involved in the decisions that are being made now, rather than trying to reverse them "sur le trottoir."

]]> By: Fagstein http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-60167 Fagstein Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:31:35 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-60167 Sure. Don't get me wrong, though, I have no sympathy for Quebecor here. They signed off on the contract that gives these conditions, and now they're locking everyone out because they've changed their minds. But these workers aren't going to get much sympathy from people whose jobs pay them less than half those wages, and whose work weeks are much longer than 30 hours. Sure. Don't get me wrong, though, I have no sympathy for Quebecor here. They signed off on the contract that gives these conditions, and now they're locking everyone out because they've changed their minds.

But these workers aren't going to get much sympathy from people whose jobs pay them less than half those wages, and whose work weeks are much longer than 30 hours.

]]> By: Jean Naimard http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-60158 Jean Naimard Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:27:00 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-60158 “Disgustingly generous working conditions”. Do I smell a smidgeon of jealousy, there? “Disgustingly generous working conditions”. Do I smell a smidgeon of jealousy, there?

]]> By: Ben http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-60058 Ben Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:24:25 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-60058 Yeah, the photos are in black and white. But the people in the photos are only in white. An oversight by the folks who made the video, or an unintentional comment on the lack of diversity at the paper? Yeah, the photos are in black and white. But the people in the photos are only in white. An oversight by the folks who made the video, or an unintentional comment on the lack of diversity at the paper?

]]> By: Cecile Gladel http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-60033 Cecile Gladel Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:51:20 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-60033 Ce que j'ai écrit hier mais mon post n'a pas été enregistré....Geneviève you are right. Hope every freelancers will leave the Journal....But we can't put the light on them but on Quebecor and PKP. Because some freelancers need to work...and when was the last time permanents journalist stand up for freelancers ? Ce que j'ai écrit hier mais mon post n'a pas été enregistré....Geneviève you are right.
Hope every freelancers will leave the Journal....But we can't put the light on them but on Quebecor and PKP. Because some freelancers need to work...and when was the last time permanents journalist stand up for freelancers ?

]]> By: Genevieve Lefebvre http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/24/journal-de-montreal-lockout-begins/comment-page-1/#comment-59917 Genevieve Lefebvre Sat, 24 Jan 2009 22:22:58 +0000 http://blog.fagstein.com/?p=3801#comment-59917 Hey, hey, Mister Fagstein! Excellent post. Warm regards and all those things. Hey, hey, Mister Fagstein! Excellent post. Warm regards and all those things.

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