TORONTO – Actors union ACTRA has asked for a conciliation officers’ report, which would allow the union to be in a legal strike position by the middle of October, it said in a release today.
After 17 months of negotiations between ACTRA and the associations that represent Canada’s advertising industry (ICA/ACA) for a new commercial agreement, there still is none and ACTRA members are in the midst of a strike vote right now.
"We are not looking for a strike," said ACTRA national president, Richard Hardacre. "We have additional negotiating dates planned. However, we will not agree to a contract with the advertisers that would significantly decrease performers’ earnings at the same time as advertising agencies are making huge profits."
A major sticking point in the negotiations, says ACTRA, is an effort by the ad agencies to redefine job categories and new media provisions in the contract, changes that could result in the loss of more than a quarter of performer earnings, says the union.
"We have worked very hard to craft a fair agreement with the agencies that deals with issues and concerns from both sides," added Karl Pruner, ACTRA Toronto president. "What we will not do is accept an agreement that reduces our members’ earnings."
ACTRA members are currently voting in a strike referendum. The results of that vote will be known by October 15.
As for the advertisers, they say “The Canadian commercial production industry is ill. The high Canadian dollar no longer attracts production from around the world. Canadian shoots are moving off-shore at an alarming rate. The digital world is revolutionizing how we communicate with consumers. In turn, this has taken its toll on ACTRA member income, which is in year-on-year double-digit decline,” says the ACA release.
“In order to address these difficult issues ACTRA and the Industry entered a series of interest-based bargaining sessions beginning last December, under the auspices of the Labour Management Services of the Ontario Ministry of Labour. These sessions have been productive to date. ACTRA and the Industry continue to work together to wrestle these issues to the ground, developing creative solutions that will result in more roles for more performers.”
Mediation talks between the parties will continue on October 4, said the ACA. “We continue to remain hopeful the mediation team will guide both parties to a successful conclusion of an agreement that will bolster an ailing commercial industry in Canada and provide more roles for more performers.”
