Postmedia threatens to lock out Ottawa Citizen and Sun staff over latest contract offer

Postmedia Network Inc. has told Ottawa Citizen and Ottawa Sun staff that it will lock out union employees starting Monday if they reject or refuse to vote on its final contract offer Sunday.
Chris Krygiel, vice-president of human resources and labour relations at Postmedia, said in a letter Thursday to staff that a lockout is not the company’s preferred course of action, but that both sides have to “move on” from a collective agreement that expired 34 months ago.
He said the company has made the best offer it can on benefits given the economic challenges of the industry. Postmedia has struggled under significant debt and declining advertising revenue in recent years.
Lois Kirkup, vice-president of the Ottawa Newspaper Guild, said the company is asking for significant cuts on top of agreed-upon concessions that included a shift to a defined contribution pension.
“They’re actually gutting our benefits,” said Kirkup. (CP)