Journalism students offered work in case of Gazette strike
Last Updated: Friday, October 10, 2008 | 11:17 AM ET
CBC News
Canwest News Service is recruiting journalism students from Concordia University to replace workers at the Montreal Gazette in case there is a strike or lockout.
CBC News has learned that several students were approached with offers to work for the news service on a fill-in basis, in case Gazette editorial, advertising and sales staff decides to execute their strike mandate.
Journalism student Dominique Jarry-Shore received a call from a Canwest editor asking her whether she would be interested in writing for the newspaper.
"He explained that it was because of the contentious labour negotiations that were going on and the possibility of a strike, and that he was trying to line up people to write for him," said Jarry-Shore, who has written on a freelance basis for the Gazette in the past.
She declined, despite what she called the enticing nature of the offer.
Crossing a picket line is a dangerous gamble for a journalist just starting out, said Mike Gasher, director of Concordia's journalism school.
"The troubling part for me is that it puts these students in a bind," he said. "They're in our program, obviously, to get a job in the industry some day. When a big newspaper comes calling, it's very tempting, but I think what they are doing is recruiting scab labour, and they call it replacement work if they want."
News organizations looking to hire students usually call his office for recommendations, but the Gazette did not contact him, Gasher added.
Canwest News Service editor-in-chief Gerry Nott didn't deny offers were made to students.
But he said they have nothing to do with the labour dispute at the Montreal Gazette. The Montreal Newspaper Guild voted in favour of a strike mandate in September.
About 200 editorial, sales and advertising staff have been working without a contract since June 2008.
The key issue is Canwest Global Communications' decision to transfer page layout duties to a non-unionized shop in Hamilton, union vice-president Irwin Block said.
Reporters have withheld their bylines since last week as a pressure tactic.
