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Canadian writers appear ready to strike as they negotiate contracts with the country’s independent film and television producers.
The Writers Guild of Canada announced that 96.5 per cent of eligible members voted to strike if a new agreement cannot be reached with the Canadian Media Producers Association. “This vote to authorise a strike, a first in the Guild’s 33-year history, represents a defining moment for Canadian screenwriters,” WGC executive director Victoria Shen said in a statement on Thursday.
While the outcome of the WGC membership vote does not mean a work stoppage, it does provide the Canadian union with the opportunity to strike if ongoing negotiations with local film and television producers on a new agreement for independent production fail to produce an agreement.
The biggest obstacles in the Canadian labour negotiations are ensuring fair compensation for writers, protection from the advancement of artificial intelligence in live-action and animation projects, and minimum staffing levels in writers’ rooms for domestic TV series. “While a strong strike mandate does not necessarily mean we will strike, it shows producers that we are prepared to defend ourselves if necessary. We remain committed to negotiating a fair agreement for our members,” Shen added.
Issues that were in the crosshairs of the WGC in discussions with local producers, such as protections for artificial intelligence, remuneration for writers and minimum sizes of writing teams for television, were also the subject of negotiations between the Writers Guild of America and the AMPTP last year, which culminated in a lengthy strike by Hollywood screenwriters before a new contract could be agreed.
The vote to authorize a strike in Canada followed six months of negotiations on a new IPA contract between the WGC and independent producers. Sean Porter, vice president of national labour relations and legal counsel for the CMPA, said in a statement that his organization remains committed to reaching an agreement with the WGC.
“We believe that industrial action would be extremely damaging to Canada’s film and television production sector and we remain focused on a successful outcome to negotiations,” Porter said.
The previous IPA agreement expired on December 31, 2023. No dates have yet been confirmed for the resumption of talks between the WGC and CMPA negotiators.
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