With the U.S. Screen Actors Guild set to unilaterally impose its Global Rule One May 1, Canadian actors’ and producers’ representatives have seized this as an opportunity to take pot shots at each other.

The controversial GR1 seeks to impose SAG terms and conditions beyond the borders of the U.S. and applies to any member working anywhere in the world on an English-language television, theatrical, commercial or industrial production for the U.S. market.

In response, the CFTPA has taken direct aim at ACTRA, saying that the Canadian actors union by not condemning GR1 is surrendering its jurisdiction to SAG.

Producers are concerned that being forced to accommodate U.S. actors under a different collective bargaining agreement could disrupt productions, says John Barrack, CFTPA national VP, industrial relations and counsel. Beyond financial compensation, SAG and ACTRA contracts stipulate different structures for the working day.

‘I call a break now, but it’s not a time for your break,’ he says. ‘Techs and directors all work around that schedule. If you introduce these artificial hours and conditions, that is very disruptive,’ ultimately creating extra costs for producers.

But Stephen Waddell, executive director of ACTRA, says Barrack is ‘speaking through his hat,’ adding that individual SAG members shouldn’t have a problem negotiating with a producer for SAG terms and conditions.

‘This practice has been around for 30 years in my experience, where SAG members come to Canada and they may be working on SAG terms and conditions. It happens all the time, especially with major feature films.’

Where there may be an issue, Waddell says, is with actors who hold dual membership with both unions. ACTRA is currently working on a resolution that addresses the terms of dual members working in Canada.

‘We’re not supporting Global Rule One,’ he says. ‘All production in Canada is ACTRA’s jurisdiction. We have to make that perfectly clear that SAG has no legal right to be in this country.’

-www.sag.org

-www.actra.ca