TVO union members have voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest collective agreement offer from the Ontario public broadcaster.

The Canadian Media Guild (CMG) announced Wednesday (Aug. 2) that 95.8% of union members rejected the offer, which included annual salary increases.

“TVO is a valuable public asset. The people who work there are dedicated public servants who consistently prove their worth telling the stories of Ontario. Journalism is fundamental to democracy and no place does long-form current affairs journalism like TVO,” wrote the CMG in a statement on the vote.

Union members, of which there are an estimated 74, were issued a notice from the bargaining committee on July 26, recommending they vote no to the offer. The voting period lasted from July 26 to July 31. The collective agreement includes producers, journalists and education workers at TVO.

The majority of union members voted 100% in favour of a strike mandate earlier this year. However, the CMG said in a statement that it is “still hoping to negotiate an agreement and avoid a strike” and has not set a strike date. The current agreement expired Oct. 27, 2022.

The TVO Media Education Group issued a statement Wednesday that a no-board report has been issued by the provincial government, by request of the union, which “could put CMG in a strike position, if that is the course they choose, later this month.” CMG has confirmed to Playback Daily that the no-board report was issued.

“TVO believes that the best route forward is to continue negotiations toward a fair agreement. We respect CMG’s right to initiate this process, and it is our hope that discussions will continue,” read the statement.

The offer included a 2.5% wage increase for 2022 and 2023, and a 1.75% increase for 2024, according to a notice issued to union members by the CMG.

“While we were happy to see an improved wage offer, the total after three years is still well below the rate of inflation for 2022,” wrote the CMG.

The union said members of TVO’s management team earned “double-digit pay increases” in 2022, based on data from the publicly available Sunshine List.

Another sticking point in negotiations is TVO’s request that the CMG waive a stipulation in the agreement that allows for contract education workers to become permanent after 24 months of employment.

The CMG said the waiver would prevent contract workers “from ever becoming permanent members and enjoying the job security and health benefits they deserve, including maternity leave, long-term disability, bereavement leave and paid sick leave.”

The union alleges that TVO has insisted on the waiver, and that the union bargaining team “will never recommend this concession.”

CMG told Playback that there is currently no scheduled date to return to the bargaining table.

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