As part of the work resumption effort at CBC near the end of an eight-week lockout, the union has apparently agreed to ask its members to remove "negative references" about the lockout and CBC from blogs, podcasts and web sites.
Good luck.
As Tod Maffin, publisher of the remarkable CBCUnplugged.com blog, says in his posting "I will NOT erase history":
"If the Guild or CBC wants something off my web site, I will gladly provide the contact information for my lawyer and would welcome the challenge in court.
"Bring it."
To Maffin, and others commenting on his site, the importance of the blogging effort in raising awareness of the issues behind the lockout and the need for vision at Canada's public broadcaster are too important to be erased because the comments might make some people feel uncomfortable.
"The last 50 days changed labour communications forever," Maffin says. "The worst thing we can do is erase history."
As usual, Maffin and his principled, non-partisan approach to the dispute is so much closer to the right thing to do than anything management or the union could come up with.
CBC will need a blogging policy, so employees can continue to publish their thoughts within reason and without fear of reprisals. But management lost the right to dictate to its employees how they express themselves publicly when it locked them out. Any such corporate policy could not and should not apply to anything written when someone is not an employee of the corporation, or when they are unemployed through strike or lockout.
Maffin left a note on the blog that he's taking a break, working on his health, and will be exploring opportunities to be back at CBC in the future. In the meantime, his regular blog I Love Radio will continue to cover broadcasting, podcasting and the future.
Note: my spouse will soon once again be able to say she works at CBC. And once she's back at work, I will return to my practice of commenting on CBC from the point of view of a devoted audience member.
Previous lockout posts:
CBC Deal Reduces Abusive HR Practices
CBC Corporate Disengagement Plan Is Working
Where to Get Your CBC News During the Lockout (Not on CBC)
If Tod Was in Charge, CBC Would at least Have a Vision
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