The Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) have agreed on the terms for a new three-year Standard Agreement.

The terms of the agreement must still be ratified by members of the CMPA and DGC. The current agreement was a one-year extension of the previous Standard Agreement and is set to expire on Dec. 31. It covers the jurisdictions of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and the Atlantic region.

“This deal enhances creative and workplace rights of our membership while strengthening working conditions and putting us on the path to more equitable compensation across our councils,” said Catherine Middleton, DGC associate national executive director and co-lead negotiator, in a statement.

Sean Porter, VP of national industrial relations and counsel at the CMPA, added that the “partnerships between producers, directors and the many talented crew members behind the camera are fundamental to the success of Canada’s vibrant production industry… [and] have never been more important as [the] industry moves ahead at full steam following the pandemic.”

The successful conclusion to negotiations comes months after a labour dispute between the CMPA, Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the DGC BC District Council, regarding the DGC BC Collective Agreement.  The dispute resulted in the guild’s first-ever strike notice in April after negotiations for a new agreement collapsed. The parties eventually returned to the table to reach consensus on new terms, which were ratified by members in June.

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