It’s hard to argue that your employees should make huge concessions when you’re in the process of bidding for an eight-figure sports franchise. And yet, that’s exactly what Quebecor is doing.
But the Quebecor bid for the Canadiens took a new twist this week when it was discovered that it’s being supported by the Fonds de solidarité of the FTQ. The FTQ labour union.
Needless to say that’s raised a few eyebrows among the media, not to mention the folks at Rue Frontenac. The STIJM calls it immoral, Martin Leclerc is calling for heads to roll, Michel Van de Walle calls it treason, Serge Touchette is revolted and Beaudet takes a whack at the issue in cartoon form. There was even a protest, another protest at the Bell Centre, and an open letter to Jean Charest.
Aside from the union implications, the deal is also making some worried about what would happen to Canadiens games on RDS if Quebecor and its “king of convergence” at Planète Quebecor were to buy the team. The Gazette’s Pat Hickey calls it “a bit scary”, Mike Boone agrees and unions aren’t crazy about it either. There’s even a Facebook group to keep Quebecor from buying the team.
Back to the table, please
Remembering that there’s a labour conflict going on, labour minister David Whissell wants both sides to return to the negotiating table. Though he says he doesn’t take sides since the conflict is with a private corporation.
Inside the conflict
Radio-Canada’s Desautels has a piece about the Journal de Montréal conflict. The audio is online in Windows Media audio.
Défi Chicoutimi
25 of the Journal’s 253 locked-out workers have embarked on a bicycle trip from Montreal to Chicoutimi (via Quebec City) to express solidarity with their locked-out colleagues at Le Réveil. You can read about their departure, Day 1 and two reports about Day 2.
Those who couldn’t make it on bikes hit the golf course.
Bonne Fête
The Journal de Montréal is 45 years old. Not quite the birthday it expected. Thoughts from:
- Bertrand Raymond
- Marc Beaudet
- Serge Touchette
- Jean-François Codère
- Philippe Rezzonico
- Jean-Philippe Décarie
- Michel van de Walle
- Raynald Leblanc
Rue Frontenac expands
Reinforcing the fact that they’re in this for the long haul, Rue Frontenac has added a new section, Détente, for weekend lifestyle features. It also has a special from Jean-Michel Nahas looking at the various candidates for mayor of Montreal.
TVA Publications likes this union thing
Rue Frontenac reports that ad salespeople at TVA Publications are looking to form a union. They’ve requested accreditation. TVA Publications, in addition to abusing freelancers, is mostly ununionized.
And…
Another pot shot at the Journal’s manque de rigueur…
Meanwhile, at the Journal de Québec
Remember that labour board decision that Quebecor said they’d appeal? They’re appealing it.