The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) has reached a tentative agreement to renew its Independent Production Agreement (IPA) with Canadian independent producers.

ACTRA National announced on Dec. 23, 2024 that it reached the agreement with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association québécoise de la production médiatique (AQPM) in a letter to members, signed by president Eleanor Noble and executive director and chief negotiator Marie Kelly.

Details on the renewed agreement will be shared publicly following a ratification vote. The voting period for ACTRA members begins on Jan. 15 and closes on Jan. 21. ACTRA National will hold a webinar for members regarding terms of the agreement on Jan. 13.

The most recent IPA between ACTRA, CMPA and AQPM expired on Dec. 31, 2024. The agreement with the CMPA covers terms, rates and conditions for performers engaged in English-language productions, excluding B.C., while the IPA under AQPM covers French-language productions.

In the letter to members, Noble and Kelly said the “historic deal” reflects “our values, addresses current needs and sets us up for a stronger future together.”

Some of the key topics in negotiations were the use of generative AI, updating the residual model and adjusting wage increases to reflect the cost of living and inflation levels, according to the bargaining page on the ACTRA website. Regarding AI, the focus for ACTRA was on “content, compensation and control” and “establishing fair industry standards.”

Another issue on the table was hair and makeup, which was the subject of a grievance by ACTRA against the CMPA and AQPM in 2021. ACTRA had alleged that racialized members were subject to inequitable treatment over hair and makeup due to lack of proper training on how to work with textured hair and various skin tones. As part of a settlement, the groups agreed to five days of pre-bargaining on hair and makeup issues for this new IPA.

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