9 months later, newspaper workers' bid to unionize still waiting on P.E.I. government
'I’m a reporter, I shouldn’t be in the news. But I’m also a worker, and I have rights,' says SaltWire employee
Some workers at two P.E.I. newspapers are wondering why it's taking the provincial government so long to certify their application to unionize.
A majority of employees at SaltWire Network publications on the Island — The Guardian in Charlottetown and the Journal Pioneer in Summerside — filed for union certification with the P.E.I. Labour Relations Board back in October.
They're still waiting for a response, said Stu Neatby, a reporter with the network.
"We just feel like the board has just not really respected our rights as workers by taking so long," Neatby told CBC News on Wednesday.
The certification process is supposed to be democratic, he said.
"If you have a majority in a workplace who want a union, you should be certified; if you don't, you don't."
The main reason the group wants to unionize is to have a voice in the workplace, Neatby said, adding that The Guardian is the only daily newspaper in the SaltWire chain that doesn't have a union.
"Cost of living increases, that plays a role. But the main reason is just [to] have a say at work and, you know, have the resources to cover our communities," he said.
After the workers sent in their bid to unionize, SaltWire Network filed for creditor protection, which it received in March.
It was announced on July 26 that Postmedia — owner of the National Post, Vancouver Sun, Calgary Herald and dozens of other publications across the country — had entered into an agreement to purchase SaltWire Network.
The purchase remains pending as of Wednesday.
'An unpredictable process'
In other provinces like Ontario, the pathway to unionization is more formalized, said Neatby.
"Once you have an application, you have a clock that starts. One week later, you may have an election."
On Prince Edward Island, similar timelines are not outlined in the Labour Act, he said.
"It's an unpredictable process for workers who actually just want to exercise their constitutional rights."
Those concerns are why Neatby is speaking out.
"I'm a reporter, I shouldn't be in the news," he said. "But I'm also a worker, and I have rights."
After reaching out to other workers' unions on the Island, Neatby said many reported similar issues with the labour board, "facing all kinds of delays, for a variety of workplace issues."
Those delays are one of the reasons the UPEI Faculty Association signed a letter in support of the SaltWire workers' unionization efforts, said Margot Rejskind, the association's executive director.
"We have seen significant slowdowns with the labour relations board," she said. "And we think that that's bad not only for unionized workers, but for Islanders across the province."
Those delays come with serious implications, Rejskind said, and it's particularly concerning for the workers at SaltWire Network with the company's future still uncertain.
The SaltWire publications are some of the last print media operations on the Island, she said, and unionizing may be one way to keep them going.
"It's not a small thing in this case, it really points to ... continued democracy," Rejskind said. "They are denying these workers their rights under the Labour Act."
In a statement to CBC News, the province said there have been no significant changes in how long it takes to process union applications over the last year, "with decisions falling well within the standard of the Board."
This, despite the board's CEO being absent, and more staff being brought in to backfill for them.
"We sympathize with that, like obviously, but at the same time this is a public institution and it has to function effectively, regardless of if one staff member is on medical leave," Neatby said.
"We just feel like the province needs to be a little more on the ball in terms of making sure the board has the staffing resources it needs to do its job. And to make sure it's accountable for having timely decisions."