SAG-AFTRA strike to impact thousands of Canadian workers

Canadian performers union ACTRA has voiced its solidarity with its U.S. counterpart and issued guidance on dual-member work in Canada.

A pproximately 25,000 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Canada are anticipated to be impacted by strike action from the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

SAG-AFTRA formally issued a strike order to its 160,000 members at a press conference on Thursday (July 13) afternoon, after negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) collapsed. The union’s Television, Theatrical and Streaming contracts expired Wednesday (July 12).

The strike began today (July 14) and marks the first time since 1960 that both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA are on strike at the same time. The WGA’s labour action is now on day 74.

“It is a difficult time, given the already low production levels leading up to, and following, the WGA strike call, but there are issues that need to be resolved, and that time has come,” a spokesperson for IATSE Canada, which represents an estimated 36,000 screen industry workers, tells Playback Daily.

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) has voiced its “steadfast solidarity” with SAG-AFTRA following the union’s decision to call a strike.

“We recognize that their fight is our fight and is for the good of all performers,” said ACTRA National president Eleanor Noble in a statement issued Thursday. “Together, we will continue working to ensure performers are respected and achieve fair compensation for the value we bring to every production.”

The U.S. performers union has issued a wide-ranging list of services that members must withhold, including on-camera performances, off-camera work such as voice acting, narration and ADR, background or stand-in work, and promotion or publicity services, including interviews, red carpets, festivals, conventions and award shows.

SAG-AFTRA will not ask performers under an existing contract in Canada to withhold services, according to the ACTRA website. However, the strike will impact any SAG-AFTRA signatory productions filming in Canada.

ACTRA has advised dual members to contact SAG-AFTRA for guidance if they are offered work in Canada, and have advised the same to Canadian producers seeking to hire a SAG-AFTRA member on their productions. Any dual member who resides in Canada and is working on a Canadian production should work as usual.

The Directors Guild of Canada Ontario (DGC Ontario) has issued a notice to members, published on its Facebook page, stating that any guild members working on an affected production may be issued a layoff notice for one week, which entitles them to five days of pay.

DGC Ontario estimates that of the 12 productions currently filming under its jurisdiction, six are expected to be shut down, with another six titles between the prep and rumours lists expected to be delayed. The DGC productions lists include both foreign-owned service productions and domestic productions.

DGC National issued its own statement of solidarity with SAG-AFTRA following the strike order. “Without talented and dedicated performers, none of us could bring our stories to life. These artists deserve to be properly compensated for their invaluable contribution, regardless of the platform, medium or new technology,” read the statement.

The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) has also voiced its support for SAG-AFTRA and WGA, calling for a “swift resolution” to the labour disruption. “We hope this historic moment of unity and collective resolve will shift the balance of power in this industry,” said the WGC.

Another looming concern is the potential impact of the strike on the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), which is scheduled to run from Sept. 7 to 17. The current strike rules would prevent U.S. actors from promoting their films at the festival, walking the red carpet, or speaking to press.

“The impact of this strike on the industry and events like ours cannot be denied. We urge our partners and colleagues to resume an open dialogue,” said a spokesperson for TIFF in a statement to Playback. “We will continue planning for this year’s festival with the hope of a swift resolution in the coming weeks.”

Both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA are calling for higher residuals for streaming productions, as well as better regulation around the use of generative artificial intelligence tools when it comes to using an actor’s likeness or writing scripts, among other concerns.

Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images