The Canadian Broadcasting Corp. locked out 5,500 staff on Monday in the largest labor dispute in the history of the publicly owned broadcaster, after talks broke down over the issue of contract workers.
CBC's television and radio channels offered a pared down mix of programming, including repeats of documentaries and the BBC World Service, as workers set up picket lines at stations across Canada.
The lockout affects all of CBC's English language services and its French language operations outside the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick.
The work stoppage followed 15 months of talks between the network and the Canadian Media Guild, which represents television and radio hosts, producers, technicians and administrative staff.
A CBC spokesman said the network has about 9,000 employees in total, which means more than 60 percent are off the job.
CBC executives told journalists on a conference call the network was operating on a contingency plan and is still able to broadcast Canadian Football League games.
They also said the network will be able to carry National Hockey League games, traditionally its most popular programs, when the season resumes in the fall. Source.
