Problems on Set

Contact ACTRA

  • During office hours – 416-928-2278 or (toll-free) 1-877-913-2278
  • Emergency 24/7 – HAVEN Helpline – 1-855-201-7823
  • Non-emergency afterhours – afterhours@actratoronto.com

On Set Emergency

Situations when you should contact ACTRA immediately:

  • Issues involving child performers (eg. children under 12 years old working more than eight hours a day)
  • Harassment, discrimination, bullying or violence
  • Unscheduled stunts or dangerous situations where stunt performers are not being used
  • Unscripted nudity or sexual situations not outlined in the contract or rider

COVID-19 Health & Safety

Productions are responsible for ensuring a safe work environment. Safety concerns should first be reported to the Production:

  • Productions will have a designated person responsible for enforcing the production’s COVID-19 health and safety policy. Check the call sheet for their contact information.
  • If your issue concerns an intimate scene, assistance may be available from the intimacy coordinator if one has been engaged by the production.
  • If this is an emergency, you have the right to refuse unsafe work. The Occupational Health and Safety Act gives workers the right to refuse work that they believe is unsafe to themselves or others. Workers who believe they are endangered by workplace violence may also refuse work. The specific procedure to follow in order to establish a work refusal may be found in Part V of the the Ontario Government’s online Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Harassment, Discrimination, Bullying and Violence

Members are protected from workplace harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence while working under an ACTRA agreement. Reports to ACTRA are confidential – we will not take action without reviewing the options with you and obtaining your permission. Members can report and access counselling 24/7 by contacting HAVEN Helpline 1-855-201-7823.

REPORTING HARASSMENT FAQ
1. How can you report to ACTRA?

There are many ways to report workplace incidents to ACTRA. You can:

  • Call the office during business hours (416-928-2278 or 1-877-913-2278)
  • Call HAVEN Helpline 24/7/365 (1-855-201-7823)
  • Use HAVEN Helpline’s associated Lifeworks App to call or chat
  • Fill in an online Online Harassment Report Form (for harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence}
2. What can you expect when you call?
If you call the office during business hours, your call will be answered by reception. You will be asked if the incident(s) happened on a production. If so, you will be directed to the business representative assigned to that production. If your incident was not related to a specific production, your call with be directed to a senior staff person (e.g. Executive Director, Director, or Special Advisor). If you call HAVEN Helpline, your call will be answered by a call service operated by Morneau Shepell. You will be auto-prompted to select: your union affiliation, your Branch, and the reason for your call. You will then be transferred to a professional support staff person who will ask you to provide:
  • Your contact information (name, phone and/or email)
  • The province in which the incident took place
  • Name of the production where the incident took place
  • Brief outline of what happened
With your permission, your information will be forwarded to the appropriate ACTRA branch office. During your call, you can be immediately referred to counselling or set up a counselling appointment for a later date.
3. What happens when ACTRA receives your call or the incident report from HAVEN?
An ACTRA representative will speak with you as quickly as possible or arrange for a confidential phone interview. We will ask about what happened; if there are witnesses that we should contact; and if you have other evidence such as documents, text messages, photos, or emails that you can send us. If we are able, we will advise you of the options available to you (e.g., filing a grievance, filing a complaint under our anti-harassment policy, or initiating an investigation under the discipline process). There may be many different options available to you. We will ask you what you would like us to do. We can advise you on what we would like to do on your behalf. We will NOT disclose the information you share, act on what you tell us, or disclose your identity without your permission. You may choose not to take it further if you wish.
4. What if I want to report anonymously?
Our ability to act on the information may be limited should you choose to report anonymously. For example:
  • There may not be enough information for us to go on
  • We may not be able to take it forward because there is no one to substantiate the allegation (ie. the person denies it happened and we have no recourse)
  • We won’t be able to follow up with you and tell you what we’re doing, because we won’t know who you are.
5. Will I be protected from reprisal?
Members are protected from reprisal. We won’t disclose your identity or act on this information without first talking to you and getting your permission.

Non-Emergency Situations

Most problems on set can be resolved by talking with production personnel. In the event of a disagreement, do NOT hold up production. Make your point respectfully and pass the problem to your agent. If an ACTRA Toronto Business Representative or On-Set Liaison Officer (OSLO) are on set, let them know.

How to Report Non-Emergency Situations FAQ
1. Upgrades, Cancellations, Postponements and Other Violations

There are many ways to report workplace incidents to ACTRA. You can:

  • Call the office during business hours (416-928-2278 or 1-877-913-2278)
  • Call HAVEN Helpline 24/7/365 (1-855-201-7823)
  • Use HAVEN Helpline’s associated Lifeworks App to call or chat
  • Fill in an online Online Harassment Report Form (for harassment, discrimination, bullying and violence)
  • Independent Production Agreement (IPA):Your agent should deal with upgrades, cancellations, postponements and other violations of the IPA. If your agent is unable to resolve the situation or requires assistance, your agent will contact the ACTRA Toronto IPA Business Representative in charge of the production. Please make production aware on set that your performance category should be upgraded and that you note this on your contract or voucher. You must notify ACTRA about a breach of the IPA within 30 days of the violation to pursue restitution.
  • National Commercial Agreement (NCA):Contact an ACTRA Toronto Commercial Business Representative for situations involving cancellations, upgrades, interpretations or agreement violations. Upgrades are rare and depend on the final edit of the commercial. You must notify ACTRA about a breach of the NCA within 30 days of the violation to pursue restitution.
2. Getting Paid
If you call the office during business hours, your call will be answered by reception. You will be asked if the incident(s) happened on a production. If so, you will be directed to the business representative assigned to that production. If your incident was not related to a specific production, your call with be directed to a senior staff person (e.g. Executive Director, Director, or Special Advisor). If you call the HAVEN Helpline, your call will be answered by a call service operated by Morneau Shepell. You will be auto-prompted to select: your union affiliation, your Branch, and the reason for your call. You will then be transferred to a professional support staff person who will ask you to provide:
  • Your contact information (name, phone and/or email)
  • The province in which the incident took place
  • Name of the production where the incident took place
  • Brief outline of what happened
With your permission, your information will be forwarded to the appropriate ACTRA branch office. During your call, you can be immediately referred to counselling or set up a counselling appointment for a later date.
3. Signing Out
Under the IPA:Make sure all information on your voucher or work report is complete and correctly filled out, including the times you worked, meal breaks, etc. Mark your voucher or work report if you had an upgrade on set and get a contract for the upgrade. Make sure your HST/GST number (if you have one) is correctly written on your contract. If the work report is incorrect, do not initial it; for a voucher, check off “disagree”. Notify your agent and the ACTRA Toronto IPA Business Representative immediately. Keep a copy of your voucher. It is your recorded proof of work. Also keep a record of your time worked. Under the NCA: Make sure all information on your engagement contract is complete and correctly filled out, including the times you worked, meal breaks, etc. If you had an upgrade on set, mark it on your contract. Make sure your HST/GST number (if you have one) is correctly written on your contract. If items are incorrect, check off “disagree”, and notify a Commercial Business Representative. Mail ACTRA’s copy of the contract and keep a copy for yourself. This is your record of work. Read our “Standing Up For You: ACTRA Toronto Business Representatives” factsheet (pdf) for more information

What ACTRA Needs to Know to Help You

We need to have all the relevant information to help you. When you are reporting an issue to ACTRA, be prepared to provide the following:

  • Your name
  • Your ACTRA number
  • Agent name
  • Production name and location
  • Date and time of the call
  • Nature of the problem

The ACTRA Business Representative will not reveal your name to the production as the source of the complaint. Keep a written record of the incident.

Need Counselling, Health Services or Crisis Support?

  • Assistance is available for workplace related issues 24/7 at HAVEN Helpline – 1-855-201-7823. Chat available via Lifeworks App (more info here)
  • The Members and Family Assistance Program (MFAP Support) is also available to members who have Bronze, Silver or Gold level benefits through AFBS.

    Telephone 24/7: 1-844-880-9142
    TTY: 1-800-363-6270 (English) / 1-800-263-8035 (French)

  • Identify yourself as having access to the MFAP through AFBS. You will need to provide your ACTRA membership number and date of birth. You can also access the plan through the Lifeworks App (more info here)..