Canada’s liberal federal government has taken its first steps toward repealing Bill C-377. The controversial law would have required unions to disclose finite details of their spending. The bill was passed in June despite objections from unions, provinces, and experts, who called it unconstitutional and argued it would cost millions for the federal government to enforce. The government has waived requirement for unions to begin track every dollar spent by December 31 for disclosure to the Canada Revenue Agency.

The national Unifor MediaOne, which represents broadcast workers across Canada has announced it will be providing former CHCH TV employees with checks for $1,000 each to help them through the weeks it will take to process their lost wage and unemployment insurance claims. On December 11, Channel Zero, the Toronto-based company that owns the Hamilton station, announced the subsidiary had filed for bankruptcy and that the 129 full-time and 38 part-time workers were immediately laid-off. At the same time, 81 full- and part-time workers were offered positions with a new news company. Citing liabilities of $4.5 million it is unlikely the employees will ever see the severance payments they are entitled to under their collective agreement.

Bill Harris producer of a Flint Symphony Orchestra (FSO) broadcast won an “Aurora Awards” in the category Entertainment/Documentary—Music/Life concert for his FSO recording of “A Patriotic Salute”—Music in the Parks. Produced as a local broadcast, the performance was also streamed on the Flint Institute of Music’s website under Integrated Media Agreement guidelines. The judge’s commented on the broadcast’s good coverage, sound quality, and “outstanding production considering challenges of shooting live when weather and lighting conditions change.”

“It is always a pleasure to work with Bill, his creativity is unmatched, but the best thing is, right from conception of a new project, he comes to us at Local 542 and we work together to make the union agreements a road to success, an avenue of opportunity.  I am proud to be able to work with such talent, Bill and his production team and the musicians of the Flint Symphony, as well as the management at Flint Institute of Music,” says Joe Boettger, president (Flint, MI).

In mid-December the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ruled that, effective January 1, online radio companies will pay three cents more per 100 plays of songs through 2020. The new rate, 17 cents per 100 plays, is a key development in a long series of disputes over how much music companies and artists make from online streaming services. Artist rights organizations say that the board didn’t go far enough in raising payments. The decision appeared to be a compromise between the wishes of the labels and the streaming service.

“We believe the rates set by the CRB do not reflect a market price for music and will erode the value of music in our economy,” the music rights organization SoundExchange said in a statement. SoundExchange had asked for an increase to 25 cents for every 100 songs, while Pandora sought a lower rate of 11 cents.

More than 300 workers at two Coca Cola facilities in Niles and Alsip, Illinois, initiated an unfair labor practices strike against the company last week. Teamsters Joint Council 25 Spokesman Will Petty says the company was stalling and not bargaining in good faith after the labor contract expired.

“For weeks on end, Coca-Cola Refreshments has shown no effort to negotiate a fair and equitable agreement with workers and repeatedly delayed or ignored the union’s good faith bargaining,” said John Coli Jr., president of Local 727. “Due to Coca-Cola Refreshments’ harsh and unreasonable actions, our members overwhelmingly authorized the unfair labor practice strike and have taken to the picket line to demand respect from their employer.”

According to the workers, the unfair labor practices strike was authorized after representatives had met 12 times with management since October, and they had been threatened and intimidated by managers carrying baseball bats.

Former Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was convicted of conspiracy to violate mine safety laws in the 2010 Upper Big Branch mining disaster that killed 29 miners. United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts says the conviction sends a message to every coal operator in America that they skirt safety laws at their own personal risk. He says the conviction provides measure of justice.