TORONTO – The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the national union representing performers in recorded media in Canada, released Monday a statement of support for the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), as the screenwriters’ union continues to negotiate a new collective agreement with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).
“After a year of turmoil and disruption caused by growing inequities in the US, our eyes now turn to the bargaining table in Canada,” the statement reads. “The Writers Guild of Canada has been at the bargaining table for nine days over six weeks with the CMPA and have yet to come to an agreement.”
The current WGC/CMPA independent production agreement — which originally covered the three-year period from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022, but was extended — is due to expire on Dec. 31, 2023.
“ACTRA calls upon the CMPA to heed the call for fundamental and necessary change in their agreements, and encourages it to engage in meaningful, good faith bargaining with the WGC,” Eleanor Noble, ACTRA national president, said in the statement.
“We support a fair deal that addresses the legitimate concerns of the WGC and its members, regarding key issues such as AI and fair compensation,” Noble added. “Writers are an integral part of our industry, and deserve protections that see their value respected, and reflected in both their compensation and job security.”
The WGC’s contract negotiations with the CMPA, which started in October, come after the Writers Guild of America’s ratification of a new three-year deal with the Association of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) in early October, which followed a five-month-long strike by Hollywood writers that ended in September.
