Locked-out CBCer John Gushue points to a statement this afternoon from the CMG as an expression of hope that negotiations could restart soon.

Here's an excerpt from the CMG statement:

There is growing optimism that real negotiations between the Canadian Media Guild and the Corporation could start again soon. Representatives of the Guild met this week with federal cabinet ministers who are attending the Liberal caucus in Regina. We are encouraged by the interest and support among MPs to get CBC employees back to work.

Labour minister Joe Fontana has said he is willing to help get the two sides together and we have word that his ministry is looking to appoint a special mediator, perhaps as soon as this week.

Lead negotiatiors from the Guild and management continue to maintain regular contact, as they have since the beginning of the lockout.

Early on Wednesday, CBC president Robert Rabinovitch and TV vice president Richard Stursberg told picketers in Toronto that management has placed no pre-conditions on the resumption of talks. However, on Wednesday evening, a senior member of the management bargaining committee pointed out to a union leader that “Mr. Stursberg is not on the (management) bargaining committee.”

The union called for a clarifying statement from CBC management saying it was willing to return to bargaining and talk about the employment status issue "beyond its own proposal."

With respect to John, I don't know if I'd be too optimistic about that statement.

It's nice that some Liberal MPs want to see the lockout end and that Fontana wants to help out, but restarting talks without ending the lockout still leaves 5,500 CBC union members on the street.

The big question is whether CBC management has decided yet whether it should climb down from its position on expanding contract work at the CBC -- or for that matter, whether the guild's position has shifted.

If neither side has moved on that fundamental question, then how productive will a new round of negotiations be?