Ontario Government continues to pay locking-out advertising agencies with taxpayer dollars while Ontario’s unionized performers suffer

On May 13, after enduring a two-year lockout by some advertising agencies represented by the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA), ACTRA members rallied at Queen’s Park to protest the use of locking out advertising agencies by the Government of Ontario and its agencies to produce non-union ads using replacement workers who are not protected by a union contract.

Speaking in the legislature, Ontario’s Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, the Hon. David Piccini, committed to calling the heads of Destination Ontario, Metrolinx, and OLG because, he said, “I recognize that government does have a role here” and “we want a deal here between both bodies [ACTRA and the ICA].”

On July 18 and 19, two breakdowns for non-union Ontario Government ads came to light – clear evidence that the Government of Ontario continues to use locking-out agencies.

Both non-union breakdowns were later withdrawn but have not been replaced by union breakdowns as yet.

After a two year lockout, Ontario’s performers deserve an unambiguous government-wide advertising procurement policy, banning the use of locking-out advertising agencies by Government of Ontario ministries and agencies for the duration of this dispute.

We call on the Ontario Government to do three things:

• immediately mandate its ministries and agencies to stop using tax-payer dollars to hire locking out advertising agencies on government projects for the duration of this dispute.
• take all necessary steps to amend Ontario Labour Law in general and the Ontario Employment Standards Act to make it clear that performers and other precarious workers in the Ontario economy have the same protections, rights and recourse as other Ontario workers.
• actively encourage the return of the parties to the bargaining table to resolve their dispute in good faith.

Next Steps

Watch this page and your inbox for updates and information as we take our campaign to organiz Ontario Government advertising tothe next level. In the meantime, why not pick up the phone and set up a meeting with your own Ontario MPP? The information you need to inform them of the issues and our three asks is all below.

Contact Your MPP

MPPs return to their constituencies each summer after the Ontario legislature rises (this year it was a week earlier in June with the house set to return mid-October).

As a voter, you have the first claim to your MPP’s attention and efforts and your MPP is interested in hearing what you have to say.

Why not take the opportunity to call the constituency office and ask for a 15-minute meeting to let your MPP know about the Government of Ontario’s ongoing use of tax-payer dollars to produce commercials with advertising agencies that have locked out Ontario’s union performers and how it’s affecting you and other performers in their own constituency?

Please help get the word out on your social networks. Remember to tag @actratoronto on IG and X and use the hashtag #WeRiseUp.

To arrange and attend a meeting, please follow the steps below.

Step 1: Find your MPP

The quickest and easiest way to find your MPP is with the Ontario Legislature MPP search tool. Click on the button below to Find Your MPP.

Step 2: Email or telephone your MPP’s constituency office to arrange an in-person or telephone meeting.

Step 3: Familiarize yourself with the issues. Read, bookmark or download our Key NCA Messages Sheet.

Step 4: Print out and bring with you the NCA Action Lobby Kit, including the answer log.

Step 5: After your in-person or telephone meeting, simply fill-in your MPP’s responses and feedback in our convenient Lobby Report Form. Don’t forget to take along your smartphone to your meeting and get a picture with your MPP and post it so social media – remember to tag @actratoronto on IG and X and use the hashtag #WeRiseUp.

We Rise Up Rally – May 13, 2024

On Monday, May 13, ACTRA Toronto Performers attended Question Period in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario and the We Rise Up Rally at Queen’s Park to engage the Government of Ontario to assist the union in ending what is now a two-year lockout by the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) of ACTRA performers who work in commercials.

This unprovoked, unfair and unjust attack on some of the most precarious workers in our economy has cost ACTRA members their jobs, their dreams, their hopes and, in some cases, their homes.
 
While ACTRA performers in Ontario struggle to make ends meet, agencies of the Government of Ontario have continued to work with some locking out advertising agencies to produce non-union ads with tax-payer money.
 
During Question Period, Opposition MPPs Dr. Jill Andrew and Jamie West both questioned the Government of Ontario about how they would assist ACTRA in ending the lockout. The Hon. David Piccini, the Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development of Ontario, recognized that government agencies like “Destination Ontario, Metrolinx and OLG, do seek advertising services” and committed to “calling after Question Period the heads of all three agencies” to have a “conversation with them because I recognize that government does have a role here” and “we want a deal here between both bodies [ACTRA and the ICA].”

“It was made clear that ACTRA Toronto performers have been heard by the Government of Ontario following Minister Piccini’s remarks during Question Period. We look forward to an update from the Government about the conversations with the heads of the three agencies as well as how we can work together on a path forward to end this labour dispute.”

ACTRA Toronto President David Gale

Following Question Period, ACTRA Toronto performers held the We Rise Up Rally in front of the Legislative Building to again call on the Government of Ontario to assist in ending the lockout. While politicians and labour allies shared their messages of support, ACTRA Toronto Vice Presidents Amy Matysio and Kate Ziegler and Treasurer Paul Constable also shared personal stories about how they have been impacted by the commercial lockout.