Thursday, March 4, 2021

I want to take a moment to thank everyone for your unwavering support during my long and often difficult journey through Arbitration with the CBC.

I was hired in 1979, in Ottawa for National English TV and laid off in 2013, walked out the door after 33 years. Not one issue on my staffing file.

Evidence was provided that my layoff was NOT the economic situation ETV wanted the Ottawa Newsroom to believe.  There was a huge public outcry from the Ottawa, Toronto Newsrooms as well as other Ottawa-based TV networks. There were letters filed with the President’s office, Regional Director’s office, Bureau Chief and a petition signed by many in the National, Local, TV, Radio, English, French newsroom).

I remember my first meeting with Claude (Beausoleil) and Mario (Poudrier).  They listened to me and what I believed had happened.  They agreed right then I had a case.  A case of personal vendetta, and not an economic layoff.

APS stood beside me for the whole 7 1/2 years.  There were court appearances, meetings, testimony and lots of evidence provided.  CBC lost on the original decision, then appealed. 

APS had said they were prepared to take this to the very top to fight for me.  And fight we did.

It has taken 7 1/2 years – with multiple appeals, and finally to the Ontario Divisional Courts.  A final decision was made in Nov. 2020.  CBC lost on all appeals with quite strong language used by the (3) judges on the waste of their time, and the taxpayers’ dollars. 

I had all the support I needed from APS and lawyer (Katty Duranleau) and my family. 

Thank you, members.

PS – If you feel there has been an injustice, seek out your Rep and start a conversation.

For more details on this story, read the following article: