Canadian screenwriters and producers are extending the agreement that governs English-language screenwriting.

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association Québécoise de la Production Médiatique (AQPM) have ratified an 18-month extension to the Independent Production Agreement (IPA).

The new deal, which comes into effect on Jan. 1, 2018 and expires June 30, 2019, will maintain current terms and increase minimum script fees by 1%.

In a release announcing the deal, the organizations said that given the uncertainty in the industry today, such as the CRTC group licence renewals and the September delivery of Canadian Heritage’s long-anticipated cultural policy review, it’s not an ideal time for labour negotiations.

“Screenwriters and producers are best positioned to face a time of industry flux by continuing to work under the terms of the current IPA in order to focus on issues that impact the entire industry,” the parties said in a release.