Employees at Montreal’s Fantasia International Film Festival have gone on strike a week ahead of the annual event’s kick-off date on July 18.

The workers’ union, Fédération nationale des communications et de la culture – Confédération des syndicats nationaux (FNCC – CSN), issued a release on Wednesday (July 10) saying that approximately 60 employees would picket on Thursday (July 11) over negotiations on a collective agreement.

Union members voted unanimously to approve five strike days during the bargaining period, said the release. The union said it hopes to reach a tentative agreement before Fantasia’s annual festival begins on July 18, but warned that further strike action could take place if talks don’t progress.

Fantasia workers formed a union with FNCC – CSN last September to be considered employees at the festival rather than freelance workers, and to receive a minimum wage.

Quebec festival workers at the Fondation Québec Cinéma and the Festival du nouveau cinéma have similarly unionized and negotiated collective agreements, said the release.

Negotiating committee member Justin Smith claimed in a statement that Fantasia “wants to keep our freelance status for this year’s festival.”

Representatives of Fantasia did not respond to a request for comment at press time.

“Like many workers in the cultural world, event industry employees want to join a union because they are demanding better working conditions; namely, to be recognized as workers in their own right, and to be paid for all hours worked, just like everyone else who has to pay rent and buy groceries,” said FNCC-CSN president Annick Charette.

Fantasia runs from July 18 to Aug. 4.

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