TORONTO (CP) _ The union representing 21,000 film, television and radio workers across Canada said early Thursday a major labour disruption could be a few days away.

Talks between the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, or ACTRA, and the producers’ organization broke down late Wednesday, said Stephen Waddell, the organization’s national executive director and chief negotiator.

"I very much regret that Canadian producers have decided to provoke a dispute in which they will be the principal victims," Waddell said.

"But given the conduct of their trade associations, we appear to be a few days away from a major disruption in Canada’s film and television industry."

ACTRA is in a legal strike position as of January 1, 2007 in most of Canada.

No new negotiations are scheduled.

The union’s main contentions centre around wage increases and the use of performances on the internet.

ACTRA characterized as "outrageous" the producers’ offer of a 0 per cent, 0 per cent and 1 per cent wage increase for people working on Canadian productions.

The union also said the producers maintained contract requirements that "amount to demanding work from Canadian performers on the Internet for free."

In earlier negotiations, ACTRA said it offered flexibility in the use of performances on the Internet, major wage concessions for low-budget independent Canadian producers and new flexible rules for reality television.

"We’re not going to give away the future for free. And we are not going to let our members’ pay continue to erode compared to other performers in North America," Waddell said, adding he’d be willing to speak to producers any time, but is not optimistic a settlement can be reached.

Last Friday ACTRA voted 97.6 in favour of going on strike if its demands aren’t met.

Canadian stars such as Sarah Polley, Maria Del Mar, Wendy Crewson and Gordon Pinsent turned out to support the ACTRA’s negotiating team late Wednesday and early Thursday.

The strike would cover virtually all television and film work in Canada.

ACTRA averted a strike in the fall of 2001 after it reached an agreement with the association that represents the country’s film and TV producers.

The prospect of a strike led to a lull in work in the industry, then worth $4 billion. U.S. producers rushed to complete several projects being shot in Canada in the event of a threatened summer writers and actors strike in Hollywood, which never materialized. A looming Canadian strike compounded U.S. producers worries.

Between 75 and 80 per cent of the film and TV work in Canada is American-financed.

TORONTO – Those with a score-keeping bent got their money’s worth from the latest CFTPA press release – a statement with three things to say, all at variance with the truth.

Just to begin, the CFTPA claims that ACTRA agreed to bargain on the basis of a "bargaining roadmap" developed by the CFTPA. This is at precise variance from the truth. In fact CFTPA lead bargainer John Barrack’s principal contribution to developing a roadmap has been to repeatedly ask "what do you want to do next?” Bargaining got underway this past week on the basis of a detailed bargaining outline proposed by ACTRA and grudgingly accepted by the CFTPA.

The CFTPA mourns the fact that bargaining has been disrupted by legal proceedings. The CFTPA itself initiated that disruption, by serving ACTRA with an ultimatum demanding that ACTRA agree to the CFTPA’s view that it is not subject to any law.

This letter was served on ACTRA at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 7, giving ACTRA ultimatums and demanding a response by 3:00 p.m. Friday, December 8.

ACTRA responded to this legal provocation with a counter brief.

Mr. Barrack then announced that negotiations would likely not now go forward, after ACTRA lead bargainer Stephen Waddell offered to continue bargaining as scheduled next week. Mr. Barrack’s conduct suggests he is deliberately seeking to provoke an industrial dispute.

Finally, the CFTPA offers a summary of its view that producers in Canada are not subject to the law. The CFTPA is claiming that producers outside of Quebec are not subject to law because, as the CFTPA acknowledges, producers in the province of Quebec ARE subject to law. This makes no sense. 

The bargaining relationship between producers and ACTRA under the national IPA has existed for approximately 40 years, through successive terms. The CFTPA seems to want to ruin this relationship.

More than 50,000 Canadians working in Canada’s $4-billion film and television industry are facing serious potential disruption because of the CFTPA’s bargaining tactics. ACTRA hopes that the CFTPA will see the light, and will bargain a renewed IPA with ACTRA on the dates already scheduled this week.

MONTREAL, Nov. 29 /CNW/ – Negotiations between ACTRA and producers advanced today – at a snail’s pace – four weeks before the expiry of the agreement.
"The good news is that today we agreed to a roadmap on how to address the numerous issues on the table," said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator. "The bad news is that we weren’t able to come to resolution on a single major issue, although we did deal with three or four minor ones. We still seem to be miles apart in substance."

The bargaining committees agreed on how to prioritize the numerous issues on the table. Discussions turned to proposals from both sides addressing working conditions.

ACTRA has applied for provincial mediation in these negotiations – and producers are so far refusing.
"ACTRA members are midway through voting on a strike mandate. In light of the producers’ proposals, ACTRA may well receive the largest positive strike vote in its history two weeks from now," Waddell said. ACTRA’s collective agreement expires on December 31, 2006.

MONTREAL, Nov. 28 /CNW/ – ACTRA laid out some bottom lines today, as negotiations on its main contract with producers resumed, a little more than a month before its expiry.
"We told them again today that our members will not accept their rollback proposals," said Stephen Waddell, ACTRA’s National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator.
"The producers – including some of the world’s biggest multinational studios – have not and cannot show that the main production companies at the table are in financial trouble, that this trouble is because of our agreement, and that rolling back the pay of performers is what is required to put them back in the black."

ACTRA also rejected proposals from producers to get digital media rightsfor free and to gut performers’ residuals on all productions.
"Our members approved strike votes by over 95% twice in the 1990s to win their current residuals," Waddell said. "These retrograde digital media and residuals proposals are going to attract an even bigger strike vote on December 15 of this year unless it is withdrawn."

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ACTRA’s bargaining team presented the union’s own proposals. In this contract ACTRA is looking for:

-  a reasonable increase for all members under this contract.

-  a move to parity with Screen Actors Guild (SAG) on high-budget U.S. productions in steps over the next five years.

-  improvements to protections for minors on film productions.

-  an incremental improvement to hours of work.

-  measures to promote opportunities for performers with disabilities.

Producers did not respond to ACTRA’s proposals in discussions. Waddell said he was hopeful the parties might begin to address the issues tomorrow. Producers and ACTRA have scheduled intensive negotiations in December.

ACTRA members are currently voting on a strike mandate, with results expected on or about December 15. ACTRA’s contract expires December 31. No bargaining dates are scheduled after that date.