September 21, 2001. As agreement negotiations between ACTRA
and the Canadian Film and Television Production Association fast approach
we need to know what's important to our members. That's why we've put
in place the following methods for ACTRA members to give us their IPA
negotiation feedback:
To keep up-to-date with IPA negotiation news, from mid October on,
please go to www.actra.com.
You can also call the ACTRA Toronto Performers Hotline at 416-642-6755
for IPA Negotiation updates.
ACTRA Members Can Contribute to CLC
U.S. Tragedy Fund
ACTRA will be making donations to the Canadian Labour Congress' U.S.
Tragedy fund. Individual members wishing to donate can also send donations
to the CLC for forwarding. Please make cheques payable to "International
Activities Fund/US Tragedy" c/o The Canadian Labour Congress, 2841 Riverside
Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 8X7
For more information, call (613) 521-3400 or visit the CLC website:
www.clc-ctc.ca.
How to Qualify for ACTRA Extra membership
Thursday, July 26. ACTRA will be accepting applications for
ACTRA Extra membership as of Friday, July 27, 2001.
If you have worked as a Background Performer within the last 12 months
and the total number of days you worked is at least twenty-four days
you are on your way to qualifying for ACTRA Extra membership.
To qualify for ACTRA Extra membership you will be required to provide
proof of your work days in the form of a cheque stub, letter from an
agent and/or a signed document from the production to your Branch or
local.
You will also be asked the following:
- To complete an application form and to present a current photo and
resume. If you do not have a current photo with you at the time you
apply, a digital photo will be taken.
- To pay an initiation fee of $75 and basic dues of $30.
The Branch representative will then review the documentation and verify
that it is acceptable. The documents will be returned to you, and you
will be asked to retain the documents for future reference.
Lastly, you will be given a receipt for your payment of the initiation
fees and dues and a membership card will be mailed to you.
If you need any additional information, please visit our website at
www.actra.com.
ACTRA and CFTPA agree on understanding
to promote labour stability
August 30, 2001. In an unprecedented arrangement the Canadian Film
and Television Production Association (CFTPA) and the Alliance of Canadian
Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) have inked a deal which
will strike-proof productions in Canada and allow both sides to move
on with previously-scheduled negotiations.
"We are extremely pleased with this development," said Elizabeth McDonald,
CFTPA President and CEO. "It offers stability and predictability at
a time when the industry is at odds and livelihoods are at risk."
"Through this understanding, ACTRA is preserving employment for our
performer membership, guaranteeing retroactive pay for performers, maintaining
our collective bargaining objectives, while at the same time preserving
a peaceful production environment in Canada. Everyone wins in this situation",
said Stephen Waddell, National Executive Director of ACTRA.
"To put it simply, productions which have executed and complied with
this understanding will not be subject to any strike or any other labour
action by ACTRA. Similarly, these productions agree not to lockout performers,"
says John Barrack, CFTPA National Vice-President Industrial Relations
and Counsel. If the CFTPA and ACTRA can't conclude a renewed collective
agreement quickly, then we may face instability once again.
The Collective Agreement between the CFTPA and ACTRA currently expires
Jan. 16, 2002. It covers all the terms and conditions of employment
with respect to all film and television production in Canada, except
for British Columbia where ACTRA's B.C. local has a separate collective
agreement. This understanding will cover home-grown Canadian productions
as well as any foreign production such as Hollywood-based productions
being shot in Canada.
Negotiations are set to begin Oct. 16, 2001 and CFTPA and ACTRA are
committed to completing a renewed collective agreement by Dec. 21, 2001.
The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, (ACTRA)
is a national organization of professional performers working in the
English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests
of 18,000 members across Canada, who are the foundation of Canada's
highly acclaimed professional performing community.
The CFTPA is a non-profit, trade association representing more than
400 companies involved in the Canadian media content production industry.
The Association promotes the general interests of Canadian media content
producers by lobbying government on policy matters, negotiating labour
agreements, offering mentorship programs, copyright initiatives, such
as the Canadian Retransmission Collective, seminars, an annual conference
and producing industry publications.
ACTRA Responds To Hollywood Studios'
Threats to Canadian Production
Toronto, August 9, 2001. Months before the scheduled commencement
of negotiations between the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television
and Radio Artists (ACTRA) and the Canadian producers' associations,
Hollywood studios have signalled their intent to "lock out" Canadian
performers by pulling all productions intended to be shot north of the
border.
"This pre-emptive move by the Hollywood studios to set their own strike
deadline months before contract negotiations even begin, will foster
instability within the Canadian entertainment industry. It is as important
to ACTRA members as it is to producers that there be a smooth and structured
process leading up to, and during collective bargaining negotiations,"
stated Stephen Waddell, National Executive Director of ACTRA.
"No one at ACTRA wants a strike and there won't be one provided the
producers are willing to negotiate a fair and equitable settlement.
The U.S. producers assert that the mere possibility of a performers'
strike is forcing them to reconsider the investment of hundreds of millions
of dollars in the Canadian economy. The truth is, in 60 years of successful
collective bargaining, ACTRA has never called a strike against producers
of independent film and television," Stephen Waddell commented.
US studios currently enjoy an enormous economic advantage when shooting
in Canada given the low Canadian dollar, Federal and Provincial tax
incentives for foreign producers, and lower overall production costs.
Fees paid to Canadian performers generally account for less than 1%
of an average Hollywood production budget. In addition, Canadian performers
cast in US productions earn half the minimum daily wages of US performers
in projects destined for the global market.
ACTRA has signalled its intent to work with individual US producers
to ensure that there will be no uncertainty when the ACTRA collective
agreement expires. ACTRA is prepared to offer special Producer-ACTRA
Agreements negotiated on a production-by-production basis that would
ensure that qualified US producers could continue production in the
unlikely event of an industry-wide performers' strike.
ACTRA began preparing for re-negotiation of the Independent Production
Agreement last month by gathering information from its 18,000 members
across Canada. Talks are scheduled to begin in early fall of this year.
For additional information consult www.actra.ca.
Fast Facts
