Since these excerpts appeared in newspapers across the Canwest chain, it seems clear once again that The Gazette exercised no editorial control and that this content was forced upon The Gazette by its Winnipeg-based owners, Asper’s sons, Leonard and David.

Do you believe The Gazette should control what appears in its own newspaper? Take action and keep The Gazette in Montreal.

The work-to-rule campaign remains in effect.

Beyond the bargaining meeting in January, the guild is also awaiting an arbitration hearing Feb. 19 to deal with the outsourcing of editorial pages to Canwest Editorial Services in Hamilton, Ont. If the guild is successful at proving that the move violates the current contract, all work that has been outsourced will return to the Gazette and be done by Gazette employees in Montreal.

The Guild wishes to thank members of the public that have overwhelmingly supported our cause, and urge them to continue to express their feelings about the deterioration of quality that is a direct result of job cutbacks and outsourcing.

The newspapers are owned by Canwest Global Communications Corp. Guild contracts at both dailies contain clauses that give staff control over their bylines and credit lines.

The Ottawa Newspaper Guild has filed a grievance over management’s position and has no doubt it will win the case, says president Lois Kirkup.

Language in the contract is unequivocal, she notes. The relevant clause states: “Bylines or credit lines shall be used at the Company’s discretion provided that an employee’s byline or credit line shall not be used over his/her protest.”

The employer, says Kirkup, is arguing that pulling bylines and credit lines would hinder production and be a form of strike, which is “nonsense.”

The ONG, which through CWA Canada engaged in co-ordinated mobilization efforts in late summer and early fall when it and the Montreal Newspaper Guild were engaged in bargaining, continues to support the MNG. Although the ONG ratified new collective agreements late last month, the membership has been doing what it can to help colleagues in Montreal.

Kirkup says the Local’s members wore their black Guild T-shirts to a townhall meeting with the publisher in mid-October as well as to work.

“We’re still trying to do things to support Montreal,” says Kirkup.

Financial Post pages in The Gazette

Gazette readers were surprised today to find two pages in their newspaper that didn’t look like they belonged there.

The pages, produced by the Financial Post (a part of the National Post), were inserted into The Gazette, and identical pages inserted into all 10 Canwest-owned daily newspapers, as well as the Winnipeg Free Press (the National Post is no longer available for home delivery in Winnipeg). They include comment pieces from Financial Post writers that appear in the same day’s Financial Post, and a markets summary page similar to what appears in the Post.

This latter page replaces the Saturday stock listings that had already been reduced from three pages to one. Among the latest cuts:

• Bond listings are deleted entirely
• NYSE and NASDAQ’s 100 most active stocks are deleted, leaving only the top 10 winners and losers
• The three main indexes list only the daily change, and no longer include volume, daily highs and lows, or 52-week highs and lows
• The TSX industry indexes are deleted
• The number of foreign currencies listed drops from 40 to 10
• Mutual fund listings are deleted entirely, though The Gazette says they will “return soon”

In order to fit these new pages in the continually-shrinking Saturday Business section, the amount of locally-produced content has shrunk from five pages to less than three.

The Montreal Newspaper Guild believes this is a gross assault on the independence of local newspapers that hasn’t been seen since Canwest attempted to institute a national editorial policy shortly after purchasing the newspaper chain. Not only that, but subscribers to both The Gazette and the National Post are treated to intentional duplication of content.

The Gazette has no control over the content of these pages. Gazette copy editors and managers are not permitted to alter their content in any way.

Gazette Vice-President of Marketing Bernard Asselin told CTV News this week that “The Gazette’s goal, which is the same as the union’s goal, is to protect local content.”

With this move, it seems clear that The Gazette’s goals are subject to veto by Canwest management.

Do you believe pages in your Gazette should be replaced with nationally-produced Financial Post content? Do you believe The Gazette should have control over its own pages? Sign our petition and tell Gazette and Canwest management that you will not tolerate the continued erosion of local news.

Can you spot the local content on these pages?

Ottawa Citizen

Starting today, the Citizen’s Business & Technology section brings you two pages of highlights from the Financial Post. Each day from Tuesday through Saturday, you’ll find the trusted business analysis, markets insights and personal finance information that make the Financial Post an indispensable source of business intelligence. We welcome your comments. Please send them to feedback@thecitizen.canwest.com

Vancouver Sun

We’re very pleased to introduce today two new pages of content from the Financial Post. … I am delighted that this high-quality content is now part of your Vancouver Sun reading experience.

Calgary Herald

Beginning today, Herald readers will benefit from a new partnership between Calgary Business and the Financial Post.

Edmonton Journal

Edmonton’s best source of local business news is getting a special value-added boost from Canada’s most trusted financial newspaper — the Financial Post.

Victoria Times-Colonist

Starting today, one of Canada’s most trusted sources of financial news will become a regular part of the Times Colonist Business section.

Windsor Star

Today’s Windsor Star introduces a new feature designed to make you a better money manager. Two pages of stories, columns, graphs and charts from the highly respected Financial Post will break down market activity and give you the latest advice from top experts. … We hope you enjoy this enhanced coverage, and invite you to give us your opinion by dropping a line to fp@thestar.canwest.com

Saskatoon StarPhoenix

Regina Leader-Post

Here’s our take on The Gazette’s television commercials. Please share it (on Facebook or in other ways). You can also sign our petition or show your support in other ways.

Here’s our take on The Gazette’s television commercials. Please share it (on Facebook or in other ways). You can also sign our petition or show your support in other ways.

I’ve often wondered when the non-Montreal-based conglomerate known as CanWest would “sanitize” the Montreal aspect of The Gazette.

A city’s newspaper, regardless of the size of the city, is a “printed spokesperson” for the city! Every city I’ve ever known of has prided itself on its paper - whether or not everyone always fully agreed with some of the content, editorial tone, or coverage of events or news.

The Gazette has been no different, throughout its long history, and has stood the test of time for newspapers, right up there with its francophone counterparts in the print media - Le Devoir, La Presse, and yes even Le Journal de Montréal!

To de-Montrealize the Gazette is not only journalistically wrong, it is a slap in the face to the many loyal Montreal readers who turn to the Gazette as a source of their daily news.

Now living in Indiana for the past 12 years, I cannot get home delivery of The Gazette, as you may well understand! (By the time the paper carrier got here it would be old news!)

But every morning I read it online, in the same way I might read the printed version at the kitchen table, as I did for many years living in Montreal.

I want my daily news of the city of my origins, Montreal, and The Gazette, even online, “delivers”!

Sterilizing the paper, I feel, will lead to “sterilized” news; nothing more than some generic, one-size fits all, attempt at bringing the news to readers.

And to move newspaper jobs, duties, and otherwise out of town, or farmed out overseas ….I consider that a kick in the ass, to go along with the slap in the face, to Montrealers!

I’ve signed the petition.

Vive la Montreal Gazette …. a truly Montreal institution - and leave it where it belongs, CanWest!

A couple of comments: most newspaper owners have a surfeit of ego, and many of them are also bright. The former applies to Leonard, but instead of brains/leadership/competence/etc. he has arrogance and uneasy creditors. As a businessman and a proprietor he’s a dud.

Back in ‘02, when he introduced national editorials, I wrote to complain. He was too busy to reply, bit I thought you might like to see the letter.

“For almost forty years we have subscribed to The Gazette. We read it diligently, and most days enjoy doing so. However, our loyalty is more complex. Because much of The Gazette is written in Montreal, and it is published here, we feel possessive about it. In fact, it is distinctly our paper. Towards the Globe & Mail and the National Post our attitude as readers is less familial.

“Certainly The Gazette has flaws. It also has great strengths, among which we include intelligent and perceptive editorials, provocative columns, and of course the Aislin cartoons. All originate here, and all are components of your local identification.

“The recent decision to run so-called national editorials is baffling. What is the problem that needs to be fixed? The members of your editorial board are manifestly able to produce high quality pieces with contexts ranging from local to international, and from topical to timeless.

“If you believe that the editorials packaged in Winnipeg are better, run them as an addition for a reasonable time and ask your readers which they prefer. We have already decided.

“To retain talented journalists you must allow them to write. If you dislodge them by importing editorials from elsewhere in the owning group, some of them will leave. The result will be lower costs, and if this is the motivation please show us enough respect to come clean.

“For a while longer we will continue to subscribe, at least from habit, but don’t take our attachment for granted.”

Once the petition reaches say 10,000 names I suggest the organizers should describe it in a letter to the editor. If it’s not printed, my next suggestion is to buy a small ad in the Globe. I’d gladly contribute to the cost.

Maintaining local content in the Gazette is far more important to Montreal, and not just to Anglo Montreal, than the once a year car race.

Does what’s happening at The Gazette bother you? Let your voice be heard.

The Montreal Newspaper Guild is currently in contract negotiations with the company, and they are demanding changes that will give them carte blanche to move the production of our newspaper to non-union shops in Hamilton, Ont. and Winnipeg. The company began doing this last year in violation of the contract, and there has already been a noticeable drop in quality.

We believe a local paper should be produced by local, qualified professionals, and that Montrealers want The Gazette’s profits invested in making the newspaper better instead of being shovelled to Canwest’s head office in Winnipeg.

The petition reads as follows:

Montreal Gazette employees are fighting to preserve a vibrant English-language daily newspaper produced in Montreal to serve Montrealers.

The Gazette’s owners, Winnipeg-based Canwest Inc., are moving more and more of The Gazette’s editorial and customer-service operations out of the province of Quebec in violation of the employees’ collective agreements. Now, in contract negotiations, Canwest is demanding the removal of impediments to outsource any remaining work outside of Quebec in order to facilitate lay offs in Montreal.

These moves threaten to diminish Canada’s diversity of voices, whittle down local input and stifle The Gazette’s vital role of covering local news and reflecting Montrealers’ values, concerns and culture. The Gazette has been a proud Montreal institution since 1778 and its readers deserve better than Canwest’s plans to further downsize, centralize and outsource to maximize profits.

The newspaper is operated by Canwest, however it is the public that will ultimately decide whether it will tolerate a “local” newspaper produced elsewhere. Gazette staff are appealing to the Montreal community to tell Canwest to keep the “Montreal” in the Montreal Gazette.

You can sign it here.

David Wilson, the CWA Canada staff representative who is leading the negotiations, says there was some progress over the last two days of bargaining for Editorial and Reader Sales and Service, although the employer still wants to eliminate union jurisdiction over work performed at the CanWest-owned newspaper.

Wilson says two days of conciliation are scheduled to begin Oct. 20, but the parties might be back at the table next week.

Meanwhile, management appears to be making preparations for a work stoppage. Macleans.ca blogger Martin Patriquin reported last night that “CanWest News Service Editor-In-Chief Gerry Nott did the obvious thing: he called up the local university and offered to make scabs out of several journalism students.”

Patriquin notes that “Concordia Department of Journalism Director Mike Gasher, meanwhile, is none too pleased with the soliciting of his young charges.”

He quotes from an email Gasher sent to students:

“It’s come to my attention that some Concordia journalism students have been approached by CanWest to replace regular newsroom staff should there be a strike or lock-out at The Gazette. While that decision is ultimately up to you, I would caution you to think very carefully about accepting such an offer as it is a form of scab labour. Not only could it harm your reputation and the reputation of our department within the journalistic community, it interferes with the ongoing collective bargaining process between Gazette journalists and their employer.”

The CBC has since picked up the story, which is also spreading in the blogosphere.

The executive of the Montreal Newspaper Guild, in a communiqué to members on Wednesday, expressed its “disappointment that the employer has effectively ended talks for a new contract for 37 members of the Advertising unit by tabling (last Friday) what it calls a ‘final offer.’ The Guild has offered to meet with the employer to discuss Advertising issues further. It is important to stress that the employer has not withdrawn its attempt to claw back the union’s jurisdiction over work in advertising by proposing a clause that is so convoluted it would have the same result.”

Members of the three bargaining units, who gave their negotiators a strike mandate on Sept. 28, were advised by the MNG executive to remove all personal effects from the workplace.