Frozen freelance cheque arrives ... now I can retire!
While many people are up in arms that Canwest asked for – and received – retention payments for top executives while it’s under creditor protection, some good news is also coming for those at the other end of the scale.
Freelancers for The Gazette were resigned to the fact that invoices for work published before Jan. 8 would either not be paid at full price or might never be paid, because as independent contractors the freelancers were considered unsecured creditors after the creditor protection filing (all work done after that is covered under a separate agreement and is being paid as normal).
But recently, I’m told, the court-appointed monitor for Canwest LP has authorized the payment in full of outstanding invoices for freelancers. Many of those freelancers have already reported receiving cheques, and the photo above is one I got last week, covering a tiny bit of work that was frozen from the last invoice.
Meanwhile, on an unrelated note, Le Devoir’s Stéphane Baillargeon talks about the agreement signed between Gesca (which owns La Presse) and the Association des journalistes indépendants du Québec, which covers freelance work done for Gesca.
Got mine last week (full amount, 450$t) and a writer from here did too. That’s great!
Really?? A cheque for $150!!?? You’re kidding me right? Here is a pretty good example of what’s wrong with the media these days. Working for and getting excited about a cheque for 150 bucks.
I’m not sure how getting a $150 cheque for a couple hours of work is “a pretty good example of what’s wrong with the media these days”, but you clearly know more than I do, anonymous web commenter.
And I don’t recall being excited, but other freelancers were owed much more money.
I don’t thInk it is about the $150.00 bucks, yet it is good money to have when everything else is being squeezed. It is about getting paid for what you do. No matter what the amount. Upper management always mismanages and they end up hurting the guys at the bottom.
Honestly, can you explain how you work for this…corporation.. and sleep at night? I know you well enough to know what an awesome amazing human you are but OMG you work for.. Gargamel.
When I see evidence that this “corporation” is setting out to destroy smurfs, then I’ll develop problems sleeping at night, I’m sure.
Very sorry to hear that Steve, it seems that the world has gone mad and there are no rules anymore – for those of us on contract (I was for eight years 03/02-11/009) exec.s think we can ‘wait’ to be paid…sometimes like six months later, by the corporate goons. They think we have not lives, nor family to feed.
I reminded some losers last X-mas that if it was the second one in a row they stiffed me and the family, they really are scrooges – next thing you know they settled up..but with only post-dated checks for the next two months
:( Victory is always bittersweet!
To be clear, this wasn’t Canwest deciding it didn’t want to pay freelancers. When the company was granted CCAA protection, all unsecured creditors were put into the same boat, from the banks (who are owed millions) to the little guy. It was the court-appointed monitor who held the power then, and decided to ensure freelancers were paid.