MORE than a dozen Global Television employees will be laid off this fall as the company moves some production of its Winnipeg newscast to Vancouver.
The layoffs were announced last October, but local union president Bill Nazer said affected employees in departments including video production, graphics, audio, editing and photography were notified Thursday.
Only one on-air personality is believed to be affected, he said: sports reporter Tyler Calver.
Nazer said despite the notice, layoffs in some departments came as a surprise: three newsroom staffers who thought their jobs were safe were handed pink slips, while one employee who thought he'd be laid off was kept on.
"It was a complete shock with the change," he said. "There were many sad faces, a lot of incredulity that this has changed."
Global Television Winnipeg's new general manager Tim Jones said he's not aware of any specific positions that were identified in October.
Jones said the layoffs are part of Global's move to "state-of-the-art" digital technology, with newsgathering to continue in Winnipeg but production to be done remotely from Vancouver.
The layoffs take effect October 3, and include 10 full-time and part-time and four casual employees. Jones said he's not aware of any other layoffs pending.
"We're committed to continuing to provide the same level of local news that our viewers expect, and the news will continue to be gathered, edited and assembled here in Winnipeg," he said.
The number represent roughly a quarter of Global's Winnipeg workforce, said Nazer, but half as many people as were expected to be laid off when the job cuts were first announced.
News of the layoffs comes just six weeks before Global will move into the 30th floor of Canwest Place, the downtown headquarters of Global's parent company.
lindsey.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca
-- with files from Geoff Kirbyson
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