The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) have signed a deal to extend union representation to script coordinators working in Canada.

The “historic” agreement was announced Monday (Sept. 11) in a joint release from the unions, which clarifies the role of a script coordinator and whether an individual hired under the role will be classified under IATSE or WGC jurisdiction.

The agreement, signed Aug. 30, says that if an individual’s primary function on a production is “administrative in nature,” then they fall under IATSE jurisdiction. If their day-to-day tasks are primarily creative, jurisdiction then moves to WGC, and the position will be classified as either a story editor or writer. However, any administrative labour will continue to be under IATSE protection.

Also included in the agreement is a plan to review fees “with a view to minimizing barriers and maximizing benefits.” The plan includes discussions on waiving initiation fees, a transition of RRSPs and the inclusion of health care benefits.

The news comes more than three years after a petition, spearheaded by industry organization BIPOC TV & Film, called on the WGC to give story coordinators guild status due to the changing nature of the role as an entry-level position. The petition claimed that bulk of those roles were held by individuals identifying as Black, Indigenous or a person or colour.

The WGC had initially stated that it would not include the role in its Independent Production Agreement (IPA) with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA), but later reversed course and said it would approach the CMPA about including the role in future IPA negotiations. The current IPA is set to expire on Dec. 31.

In the announcement of the new agreement, the WGC said that the role of a script coordinator has evolved in the current era of smaller writing rooms, and “has resulted in these workers handling more tasks than was previously the norm,” including creative work such as script polishing and consultations.

“Workers are best protected when they are members of a union or guild,” said WGC executive director Victoria Shen in a statement. “We hope this agreement will protect young writers and provide them with the benefit of union representation as they are coming up and building their careers in our industry. We’re grateful to WGC members and BIPOC TV & Film for raising their voices on this important issue.”

Added IATSE director of Canadian affairs John Lewis: “Whether entry-level or otherwise, all work has value, and the people performing that work deserve to have a voice.”

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