Like eco-fees for the environment, Quebec must impose an amount on the purchase of devices equipped with screens as well as on internet and mobile services in order to finance the news media, says the CSN.
In an open letter published by Le Journal, the Confederation of National Unions calls on the Legault government to do much more to help this industry which is suffering layoffs and loss of income in the face of Web giants.
The missive is signed by the president of the central union, Caroline Senneville, and the president of the National Federation of Communications and Culture – CSN, Annick Charette.
Among its main measures, the union center proposes the creation of a 2% “info fee” applied to telephones, tablets and computers as well as internet and mobile services. “Across Quebec, such a fee would generate revenues of around 200 million per year,” write the two union leaders.
“Interesting precedents exist: think of the royalties charged on blank cassettes, VHS or audio, established to support creators at a time when piracy was beginning to be rampant. Or even the eco-fees collected in Quebec in order to predict the end of the useful life of batteries or other electronic products,” we explain.
Tax credit
Another important measure, the CSN is asking to greatly expand the scope of the tax credit applied by Quebec since 2019 on the payroll of journalists in the written media.
This government aid, affirms the CSN, must now extend “to all jobs necessary for the operation of the company”.
Moreover, since the crisis now also concerns TV and radio, Mmy Senneville and Charette are pleading to extend the tax credit to “their staff working on the production of journalistic content”.
Advertising
The CSN also invites Quebec to finance the purchase of advertisements by granting a tax deduction to private advertisers who purchase advertising in local news media. This would be equivalent to double the amount paid.
Such a deduction would not be possible for the purchase of advertising space from “delinquent” Web giants, such as Meta, owner of Facebook.
But above all, the CSN invites all government organizations to favor the news media for the purchase of advertisements, rather than the American GAFAM.
“Given the scale of the crisis, our governments – including cities! – must stop procrastinating: that they adopt a real responsible advertising purchasing policy in support of our news media and that they stop dealing with these barbarians who refuse to comply with the tax rules in force in Canada,” write Mmy Senneville and Charette.
The CSN will hold a press conference on Tuesday morning to comment on its proposals.