Will Canada be following suit with its own year of industry disruptions? After an overwhelming 96.5% vote in favor of strike authorization from the Canadian indie film and TV producers regarding their new labor deal, it seems increasingly likely that a strike will go ahead later this year. Take a look at entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A. share the details to date.
No Deal (Yet) With the Canadian Media Producers Association
The strike authorization alone represents a (sad) milestone for Canadian writers, as it is the first we’ve seen in the Guild’s 33-year history. As with last year’s strikes domestically, it will represent a pivotal moment for Canada’s screenwriters. However, a work stoppage is not yet guaranteed. Instead, it means the union has the opportunity to strike if the ongoing negotiations towards an Independent Production Agreement cannot reach a settlement.
Key Stumbling Blocks
The issues holding negotiations back will look familiar indeed to the US entertainment industry. Namely fair compensation for writers, protections against AI, and the minimum staffing for writer’s rooms on domestic TV series. Of course, with the US’s dual-strike finally resolved, there is some potential framework for the local union to draw on in seeking a resolution to the matters. This may outright ward off a coming strike, or at least provide some guidance on how to resolve these sticky matters to everyone’s satisfaction (or something close to it, anyway).
While the strike authorization clearly appealed to the bulk of the affected writers, the Guild itself remains committed to trying to find some middle ground for a more peaceful resolution, noting that a labor dispute would be “extremely damaging” for the domestic (Canadian) film and TV production sector at the moment. For now, however, negotiations continue, with the authorization as some additional leverage on the matter. We will have to wait and see what comes of it.
