Union Office – STTRC | Syndicat des travailleuses et travailleurs de Radio-Canada

If, within our union, the general assembly is sovereign and the Union Council, formed of delegates, is at the heart of our democratic practices, we could say that the Union Office is its extension.

Let us remember that its members are elected by all members for a 3-year term.

Within the STTRC, the Union Office’s main responsibility is to carry out the mandates entrusted to it, to oversee the affairs of the union and to represent it. This representation is largely achieved through the discussions that its members have with representatives of Radio-Canada management.

BUT FIRST, WHO ARE THEY?

There are two types of members within the Union Office. The first group is made up of elected officials with clearly defined areas of responsibility.

There is the president, who acts as the official spokesperson for the STTRC both with management and with the other unions within Radio-Canada. This person chairs the meetings of the various union bodies and ensures that each elected official carries out the mandates entrusted to him or her.

Next comes the person responsible for the secretariat and the treasury. This is the pivotal person in the executive. He or she is responsible for the good state of our finances and compliance with our statutes and regulations.

There is a person responsible for labour relations. This person is at the heart of the life of the collective agreement since his or her main responsibility is to ensure its proper functioning and, if necessary, to propose accommodations to the members of the Union Office. If no accommodation is possible, the dispute ends up in the court of the person responsible for grievances and disputes. These two members work as a duo. The goal is always to find a solution to avoid grievances and settlement delays.

The strength of a union lies in its ability to inform its members and, if necessary, mobilize them behind the same cause: obtaining a better employment contract.

This responsibility falls to the person responsible for communications and mobilization.

Finally, the last member of this sextet, the person responsible for equity, health and safety. Burnout is one of the main causes of work stoppages at Radio-Canada. For too long, we have underestimated the impacts of psychological distress linked to, among other things, the acceleration of the pace of production and a disorganization of work.

The second group includes 4 coordinators (Montreal, Regions, Quebec and Moncton), elected officials without “portfolios” whose main responsibility is to serve as a link between the different sections of their territory and the other members of the Union Office. They must support the work of the delegates and see to recruitment when positions become vacant.

These ten people are all required to report to the elected officials of the Union council and to the members at general meetings. Their responsibilities are described in Chapter 6 of our statutes and regulations.