The deal, which must be ratified by members, includes a 5% wage increase, with the contracts extended until March 31, 2025.
The initiative supported by Warner Bros. Discovery Access Canada will help performers from underrepresented communities reach full membership in the actors’ union.
ACTRA has issued a letter of solidarity for SAG-AFTRA, and the Writers Guild of Canada has announced plans for a Toronto rally in support of striking WGA members.
The battle over the National Commercial Agreement is the latest rallying cry for the union’s members.
ACTRA National filed a grievance to the CMPA and AQPM in December 2021 over issues of inequity for performers who are Black, Indigenous or a person of colour.
Film commissioners and producers in the two major markets discuss the strike’s potential effect on production on this side of the border.
The agreement will allow the agency to work with unionized performers through the end of the year amid Ontario Labour Relations Board hearings.
The guild said 59% of new members identified as diverse, but warns of a declining volume of Canadian content and opportunities for senior roles.
EXCLUSIVE: Victoria Shen, executive director, WGC, says the guilds “respect each others’ jurisdiction.”
The former ACTRA National president has been honoured by the national branch for her contributions to the audiovisual industry.
Canadian Media Guild’s TVO members, including producers, journalists and education workers, had a 96% turnout for the vote.
The labour and human-rights lawyer begins effective Feb. 27, replacing former WGC national executive director and CEO Maureen Parker.