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.

TORONTO – The CFTPA/APFTQ issued a highly misleading release today about what they did during a discussion with ACTRA yesterday. 

"The producers did not provide a ‘road map’ to a successful agreement”, said Stephen Waddell. "What they did was tinker with three of their proposals without fundamentally changing them, leaving all their other retrograde proposals on the table. There is still an enormous gap between the parties, and no sign the producers’ association understands the seriousness of the situation they’ve provoked."

Waddell said:

·  The associations repackaged their internet proposal but are still seeking internet rights for free – asking actors to work for free.

·  The associations repackaged their pay rollback proposal – but indicated they are still seeking pay rollbacks for both foreign and domestic producers. They just asked ACTRA to write up those pay rollbacks in a manner we’d be more comfortable with.

·  The associations proposed a mutual withdrawal on "turnaround time".

"Everything else has stayed on the table. Producers are still seeking to gut performers’ residuals, rollback their pay, worsen working conditions, and implement numerous other retrograde proposals," stated Waddell.

ACTRA has applied for provincial conciliation across Canada. Conciliator Reg Pearson has been assigned to this issue by both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario – unfortunately producers are currently refusing to meet with the conciliator.

ACTRA members will be receiving a strike mandate ballot in their mail in coming days. The result of that vote will be available on or about December 15th. The current IPA contract expires on December 31, 2006.

ACTRA and producers agreed to two weeks of "last chance" negotiations in mid-December.

ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) is a national organization of professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. ACTRA represents the interests of 21,000 members across Canada – the foundation of Canada’s highly acclaimed professional performing community.