Today is a big day for the Saint John 7. One year ago — on June 25, 2012 — the seven radio employees began their strike against the Halifax-based Maritime Broadcasting System after trying for almost a year to negotiate a fair wage.
Lise Lareau, National Vice-President of the Canadian Media Guild, wrote a post about the MBS employees on the CMG blog yesterday. She notes that the workers — who include on-air talent — earn an average of $28,000 a year. The average salary at stations in similar-sized markets across the country is $53,000. MBS’s last salary offer would have brought their average pay up to slightly more than minimum wage.
This week the Globe and Mail reported that, in spite of strong competition, Canadian radio stations are still managing to pull in profits. Even in smaller markets, revenues are up year-over-year. The Saint John 7, as Lareau points out, are fighting for viable local media jobs and high quality local radio.
The striking workers have garnered support from their community, with a number of businesses suspending advertising from the local stations in support of the workers. MBS, however, has remained unresponsive.
The strike hasn’t stopped the Saint John 7 from broadcasting. For nearly a year, they’ve been operating a web-based station called Radio Free Saint John.
The 7 are marking their one-year anniversary today with a rally in King’s Square, St. John.
2 comments
These people make only a little more money that I made when I started in this business 30 years ago…unbelievable! Shame on the company…
Shameful how a radio station owner can treat people like this … still. I remember my private radio days. Some were great places to work — maybe low paying, but great people to work with, and for. Others — not so much. But when the owner of a chain of stations can treat his people so badly… it really reminds me of that nasty banker fellow in “It’s a Wonderful Life.”