TORONTO – Representatives from the film, television and digital media sectors and their union representatives gathered today at Queen's Park to support a private member's bill that would ensure disputes arising from their collective agreements can be resolved at the Ontario Labour Relations Board. The bill was introduced by Peter Tabuns, NDP MPP for Toronto Danforth.
Currently, producers and unions can end up in prolonged court arguments debating jurisdiction rather than just settling the dispute.
"When this bill becomes law, producers and unions alike will have a fair and legally-binding dispute resolution mechanism to see them through contract disagreements." Jim Biros, Toronto Musicians' Association
Actra Toronto, Directors Guild of Canada-Ontario, Nabet CEP Local 700M and the Toronto Musicians' Association have negotiated collective agreements with employers in the industry for decades.
"Ambiguity about the application of Ontario Labour Law to our industry threatens to make resolution of the occasional dispute difficult, time-consuming and expensive – entirely the wrong message for Ontario to send to risk-averse international producers in a fully globalized industry. We don't want to spend valuable time and money in court debating interpretations of the Labour Relations Act and its application to our unique workplaces. We want to focus on what we do best – producing screen-based entertainment products for the global marketplace," Said Bill Skolnik, Directors Guild of Canada-Ontario.
Ontario's film, television and digital media industries are playing an increasingly critical role in the province's economy. In 2011, the industry recorded a 32% increase, representing at least $1.26 billion dollars spent in Ontario.
"A similar bill was introduced by MPP Peter Tabuns in 2010 and it passed second reading, so I have every expectation this bill will be favourably received as well. We need to get this done, and when it is, investors in this growing economic sector will celebrate a substantial improvement in labour stability," added Heather Allin, Actra Toronto.
