Sunday News pushing for collective agreement

30 September, 2009

Staff at the Sunday News are pushing to gain coverage under the Sunday Star-Times collective agreement following a successful recruitment drive that's seen union membership increase to 90%.

Both papers are owned by Fairfax, but workers at the Sunday News currently have no collective agreement.

Sunday News worker David Long has recruited around a dozen members to the union over the last year. He says his workmates joined out of a sense of fairness.

"The way we see it, our stories run in both papers, we work in the same building on the same floor, and we have the same management," says Long. "It only makes sense that we have the same employment protections."

"The catalyst for the recruitment drive was a recent round of redundancies that really got people thinking about the union and the protection a collective agreement offers.

"It's looking hopeful we'll get an agreement with the company soon, and already we're seeing a change of culture. Some of the younger reporters have got quite into the union and appreciate the benefits that go along with being a member of the EPMU."

The Sunday Star-Times agreement is currently up for negotiation.