The dispute between U.S. studios and B.C. unions over the frequency of COVID-19 testing has been resolved, paving the way for a raft of American series to resume shooting in Vancouver.

On Friday (Aug. 14), the BC Council of Film Unions (BCCFU), consisting of IATSE Local 891, Teamsters Local 155 and ICG Local 669, reached an agreement with Sony Pictures Television, which is the lead studio on The Good Doctor.

With the agreement, the medical drama – which had been scheduled to go into production earlier this month before the testing dispute disrupted those plans – will become one of the first U.S. series to resume.

Outside of The Good Doctor, the BCCFU has agreements in place for several projects from ABC, Disney and FOX, as well as for long-running Vancouver-shot series Supernatural, Phil Klapwyk, business representative for IATSE Local 891, told Playback Daily.

While production had looked set to resume on The Good Doctor on Aug. 10, the show’s entire crew were temporarily laid off when the U.S. studios and B.C. unions reached an impasse over the frequency of COVID-19 testing. Pre-production is set to resume shortly, with cameras scheduled to start rolling before the end of the month.

The crux of the dispute arose from the fact that U.S. studios and guilds require cast to be tested three times a week and crew once a week. Meanwhile local unions in B.C. were calling for fewer tests for crew members, which falls in line with provincial recommendations that random testing for individuals not displaying symptoms is not beneficial due to B.C.’s relatively low number of cases.

Playback understands that the agreements have been adjusted so that there are now no maximums or minimums when it comes to either the frequency of testing, or the breadth of B.C. guild positions that can be tested.

While discussions have clearly moved in the right direction, there is still be a fair amount of negotiation to be done as each project is subject to a separate agreement or letter of understanding. Formal discussions regarding other B.C.-shot projects are set to begin early this week.

In other B.C.-related news, a pan-industry coalition co-chaired by the CMPA-BC and the BCCFU last week released the BC Motion Picture Industry COVID-19 Pandemic Production Guide. The document, created in consultation with producers, studios, unions, guilds and subject matter experts, provides guidance for employers based on WorkSafeBC’s six-step process and is designed to assist producers in developing their own COVID-19 safety plans.