La syndicalisation des journalistes dans quelques quotidiens québécois

Type of resource
Author/collaborator
Title
La syndicalisation des journalistes dans quelques quotidiens québécois
Abstract
The author examines the origins and motives of the unionization of journalists in five Quebec daily newspapers: La Presse, Le Soleil, Le Devoir, The Gazette and The Montreal Star. The unionization of Francophone journalists began in 1944, shortly after the enactment of the "Loi des relations ouvrières". The first journalists' union was created at La Presse in 1944. It was, in fact, a local of the Syndicat de l'Industrie du Journal (S.I.J.) which brought together several newspaper occupations. This union was affiliated to the Canadian and Catholic Confederation of Labour (C.C.C.L.). In 1948, Francophone journalists in Montreal decided to form a new union and requested certification as the Syndicat des Journalistes de Montreal, affiliated with the Federation de l'Imprimerie which, in turn, was part of the C.C.C.L. The author notes that the appearance of unions in the editorial offices of The Montreal Star and The Gazette came only in the 1970s, some thirty years after the unionization of the Francophone dailies. This period was marked by a growing concentration of ownership in the industry, especially by large corporations. It was a more difficult period for all the dailies and for their journalists. The Montreal Newspaper Guild was certified to represent the journalists working for The Montreal Star on the 8th of May 1972 and the journalists at The Gazette on the 22nd of December 1977. The author maintains that both the relatively recent visible presence of the American-based Newspaper Guild in Canada and the prevailing labour relations climate in these newspapers explain why unionization came later among Anglophone journalists. He points out that among the major reasons leading to their eventual unionization should be noted the move towards greater concentration of ownership, the inflationary climate of the time, the arrival of visual display units in the composing rooms and the influence of the already unionized Francophone journalists. The author concludes that the gravitation of Anglophone journalists towards the Newspaper Guild can be explained by its traditional preoccupation with these professional matters.
Publication
Relations industrielles / Industrial Relations
Volume
Vol. 42
Issue
no. 4
Pages
737-755
Date
1987
Language
fr
URL
Citation
Déom, Esther. “La syndicalisation des journalistes dans quelques quotidiens québécois.” Relations industrielles / Industrial Relations Vol. 42, no. 4 (1987): 737–755. https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/ri/1987-v42-n4-ri1149/050361ar.pdf.
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