Performers & Producers Come to Terms
by Staff*
(November 15, 2018 – Toronto, ON) Canadian performers and independent producers have announced agreement on a new pact between the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM). The three organizations jointly announced the new three-year Independent Production Agreement (IPA) today. The agreement in principle will now be presented to the ACTRA membership and the CMPA and AQPM’s respective Boards of Directors for ratification. The agreement establishes terms, rates and conditions for Canadian performers and producers.
“After having struck deals on two other major agreements with directors and crew members in the past few months, this agreement demonstrates the commitment we share with performers to maintaining stability and predictability in the face of tumultuous change within the Canadian screen-based industry,” said Warren Ross, the CMPA’s Vice President of National Industrial Relations and Senior Counsel. “We thank our negotiating partners at the AQPM and ACTRA for their tireless work in achieving this shared goal, which not only benefits our industry as a whole but, most importantly, benefits Canadian audiences.”
“Through the firm resolve and dedication of our 2018 IPA Negotiating Committee, we successfully worked through a complex series of issues to negotiate an excellent settlement,” said ACTRA National President David Sparrow (pictured). “We stood together to advocate for the rights of all members – across all of ACTRA’s performance categories – to ensure performers have safer 
working conditions and improved compensation.” ACTRA is the national union of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada, representing the interests of over 25,000 members across the country.
“With already one of the best performer agreements in the world, our goal is always to secure a fair deal with improved working conditions for our hard-working members,” added Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s Chief Negotiator and National Executive Director. “At a time when many working people are facing wage roll-backs, our members will see a pay increase and better protection in the workplace.”
“The AQPM thanks the members of all the negotiating committees involved,” said President and CEO of the AQPM Hélène Messier. “This agreement will provide stability within the industry for the next three years and maintain the partnership between producers and performers.”
The ACTRA Independent Production Agreement establishes the terms, conditions and rates for on- and off-camera performers engaged on English-language productions in Canada, excluding British Columbia, which operates under a separate collective agreement. The current 2016-2018 agreement is set to expire on December 31, 2018.
*Based on a media release from ACTRA.
