Category: President’s Message

We stopped the CERB clawback!

February 9, 2021

Dear ACTRA Members,

Thank you to the thousands of members who stepped up to help stop the unjust CERB clawback by sharing a message of support on social media or by calling or E-mailing your Member of Parliament.

Your efforts have paid off! The Government of Canada has heard us loud and clear and, today, announced self-employed individuals who applied for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) based on their gross income will not be required to repay the benefit.

This means, individuals who had self-employment gross income of at least $5,000 will not be required to repay the CERB as long as they met all other eligibility criteria.

This was a joint effort and a true testament to how effective we can be when we work together. Even if you were not personally affected by the change to the CERB income eligibility rules, you likely know an artist who was.

The decision announced today shows how important it is for us to stand together in solidarity, in this case for the many self-employed workers who were affected by the unjust CERB clawback.

I know we all still face a lot of uncertainty as we continue to get through this pandemic, but the great news announced today will, I hope, help alleviate some of the financial uncertainty many Canadians would have had to face if the government did not reconsider its position.

Stay safe and stay strong. Together, we will get through these tough times and come out more united than ever.

In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14

A modernized Broadcasting Act is coming…

November 3, 2020

Dear ACTRA Members,

I want to thank all of you for helping your union make history today following the introduction of long-awaited legislation by the federal government to modernize Canada’s Broadcasting Act (Bill C-10). The two main goals of this Bill are to bring online streaming services into the broadcasting system and equip the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) with the necessary tools. ACTRA has focused much of our lobbying efforts over the years on changes to the Broadcasting Act so this is a big win for Canadian performers and our industry.

If the proposed legislative changes are passed, and the CRTC requires online broadcasters to contribute to Canadian content at a similar rate as traditional broadcasters, online broadcasters’ contributions to Canadian music and stories could amount to as much as $830 million per year by 2023.

While the legislation introduced today is only a first step, the proposed changes will help strengthen our industry and lead to increased investment in Canadian content production and, by extension, increased work opportunities for Canadian performers. Some of the changes include:

• The inclusion of online broadcasters, such as streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, will fall within the scope of the Act.
• More fair and equitable treatment between online and traditional broadcasters, which will allow governing bodies to require a certain level of Canadian programs be showcased on streaming platforms and/or require online broadcasters to make financial contributions to support Canadian music, stories, creators and producers.
• Update policy to better serve the needs and interests of all Canadians and Indigenous peoples, including individuals from racialized communities and of diverse ethnocultural backgrounds, socioeconomic statuses, abilities and disabilities, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions and ages.

The government has also stated there will be additional reforms made to modernize the Act, which may include:

• Assessing which online broadcasters should be regulated and ensuring they are required to contribute appropriately to the broadcasting system.
• Ensuring support for programs created and produced by racialized groups, official language minority communities, women, Indigenous peoples, and LGBTQ+ communities.
• Revisiting how “Canadian programs” are defined for the purposes of broadcasting regulatory obligations and ensuring this definition takes into account other relevant federal Canadian content policies, and recognizes the importance of Canadian intellectual property ownership.
• Considering additional regulatory credits for broadcasting activities that are culturally desirable, but otherwise less likely to be produced.

While there is still work to do to create a more modern and equitable broadcasting system in Canada, this is a positive first step. ACTRA will further analyze the bill in the coming weeks to assess its impact on our industry and will participate in any government consultation process about the proposed legislation. The federal government will need to work across party lines before this bill can become law. You can help ensure the voices of Canadian performers are heard by reaching out to your Member of Parliament and encouraging them to support this bill.

Thank you again for supporting your industry and your union.

In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14

October 2020

Hello ACTRA Members,

As the weather slips all too quickly toward winter, I hope you, your friends and families are well.

Work opportunities are returning all across this great country. Foreign service productions are choosing to shoot here because Canada is seen to be handling the pandemic more responsibly than many other jurisdictions, but they’re also here because they know ACTRA members are professionals who take this industry and their careers seriously. They know we can be relied upon to partner with them in observing on-set health and safety protocols that will protect productions as well as the casts and crews who bring those productions to life.

And now, domestic producers creating Canadian productions can also have the financial confidence necessary to get back in the game. Following months of industry-wide lobbying by ACTRA, IATSE, the DGC, the CMPA and so many others, we were pleased to see our federal government step up to support our industry by implementing temporary backstop production insurance to protect against COVID-19 shutdowns. Administered by Telefilm Canada and the Canada Media Fund, this additional level of insurance will specifically support lower budget Canadian Content producers as they return to tell great Canadian stories.

Judging by reports from our members on social media, self-tape auditions and bookings are running at a fever pitch. Still, I know for some of us, underlying health conditions will slow our return to set or even make it impossible until the pandemic is finally over. Following the end of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit in September, the government introduced the Canada Recovery Benefit, which provides income support to workers who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance. We were able to ensure self-employed and gig-economy workers are eligible to apply for this benefit to help them through the pandemic recovery process.

As we all know, infection rates continue to rise across the country. We are in the second wave. For this reason, we all need to double down on our professionalism. Check out ACTRA’s new ACTSmart! page for tips on how you can think, work and live smart. It’s more important to our industry than ever before that Canada continues to be seen as a safe and responsible shooting location. A place where talent recognizes their health and behaviour on set is supported best by their health and behaviour at home. By working together, we can keep the cameras rolling and the work opportunities growing.

Let’s make the last two months of 2020 count for Canadian performers.

Keep being awesome.

In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14

Labour Day 2020

Dear ACTRA Members,

Labour Day marks an important time for us to be thankful for and proud of the strong and respected presence unions have in Canada. Each year, we reflect on the history of our labour movement and celebrate the labour activists who came before us. Through negotiation and protest, sacrifice and personal risk, they helped to achieve the many protections and benefits we, as workers, receive in Canada today. Given the challenges we have faced this year, I know we are all especially grateful to have a strong union of like-minded professional artists behind us as we navigate this tough business.

Although we will not be coming together in person at a Labour Day parade or an ACTRA Branch event this year, we can still celebrate and respect the work our union has done on behalf of members, even in these tough times.

The COVID-19 crisis has been unpredictable and fast-evolving. Through extensive lobbying, we were able to see artists and other self-employed, gig economy workers included in the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) launched by the federal government this past spring. This time of crisis has also shown us how adaptable, resilient and generous our members can be with their time and talent as performers have stepped up to help each other and to entertain our nation during the lockdown. We can truly have hope for our future as we continue to navigate these changing times.

Ending anti-Black racism and committing to lasting change as it impacts equality and inclusion within our industry is an important priority we are focused on. We will continue to work with organizations from across our sector, guided by our diverse member leaders, to see that opportunities for Black and Diverse members are increased and more accessible.

Our staff, working from home while caring for their own families, have continued to ensure commercial residual payments, and ACTRA Performers’ Rights Society and UBCP/ACTRA royalties are received by members across the country. Additionally, your union was able to convince the government that up to $1,000/month of such earnings should be exempt from CERB eligibility to help the many artists who struggle to pay their rent and put food on the table during this pandemic. The government has been listening and has now announced a further extension of the CERB along with plans for new recovery benefits launching in October, including paid sick leave, to help get us through the likely tough times ahead (please note these recovery benefits still require parliamentary approval and Parliament has been prorogued until September 23).

For months, your union has also been working with people from across the industry to help get us ready to return to work in the safest way possible. Precautions followed by each of us at home and on set will see work opportunities return and continue to grow. The world, and all the streaming services, are hungry for new, excellent content. If we all have patience with one another and put our health first, the return to work will no doubt be successful.

Work under the newly ratified Ubisoft Video Game Agreement has already begun with members returning to volumes and sound booths in both Montreal and Toronto. Our member negotiators did an excellent job speaking on behalf of their fellow performers in what was at times a difficult bargaining experience. Next year will see ACTRA return to the bargaining table to renegotiate our NCA and CBC Television and Radio Agreements. You can also expect focus groups to be re-established to address the post-COVID workplace and improved anti-Black racism, diversity and inclusion provisions in these agreements.

Each week brings new twists and turns to 2020, but the work of the labour movement has prepared your union to engage in and adapt to important issues and to respond to unpredictable events. So remember, in good times and bad, we have a collective commitment to step up for each other and to build a union that will continue to protect and defend future generations of artists in Canada.

Stay healthy! I wish everyone from coast to coast to coast a safe and happy Labour Day and better success in the months and year to come.

In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14

ACTRA’s Commitment to Safety, Equality and Inclusion

Dear ACTRA Members,

It has been four months since the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic and our industry came to an abrupt halt. Since then, everyone in our union has gone digital as we moved to emergency videoconferences to manage our day-to-day business.

On July 6 and 7, our National Council met virtually for the first time in our union’s history. Your elected leaders from across Canada have embraced the challenges facing all of us and worked together on an ambitious plan to keep ACTRA moving forward during this historic time of social change. With new energy and focus, our member-led union discussed what role we will play in effectively challenging anti-Black racism.

Our National and Branch Diversity and Inclusion committees have shown tremendous leadership in standing up against systemic racism. The urgency for change requires a collective voice and real commitment to racial equality within our union and our industry.

In response, our National Council passed a motion to:

• Endorse the creation of a plan that includes concrete, measurable actions designed to bring racial equality within ACTRA as we work towards building a more inclusive world; and
• Invite the Canadian Creative Industries Coalition to reconvene and work together to end anti-BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Colour) racism within the screen-based media production sector.

Our National Council meeting marked another milestone for our performers’ union, as we all very recently voted to change our governance model to improve representation from across all ACTRA Branches. Our governance structure needed to be updated to reflect the demographic changes our ACTRA Branches have seen over time to ensure representation from the entirety of our membership.

We welcomed four new Councillors to our table of now 28 National Councillors, and re-elected Keith Martin Gordey as our ACTRA National Vice-President and Theresa Tova as our ACTRA National Treasurer. Thank you, Keith, Theresa and all of our National and Branch Councillors, for your hard work on behalf of all of our members across Canada, especially during this challenging time.

As our industry reopens, we are also wondering what things will look like as we return to work. Thank you to our members who took part in our anonymous health and safety survey. The resulting Report outlines a number of important safety measures our members feel would reinforce their sense of safety in the workplace.

ACTRA Branches across the country are working closely with government, industry partners and local stakeholders to establish and implement return-to-work protocols and guidelines. I encourage you to visit the dedicated COVID-19 resources page on our website, which includes links to provincial and ACTRA Branch health and safety guidelines.

Depending on where you are working, please read your province’s and your ACTRA Branch’s health and safety guidelines.

Expect to be educated daily on the COVID-related protocols being followed on the set.

We all have to do our part, both on and off set.

Please continue to stay connected with your union. As we get back to work, our health and safety is critical. COVID-19 is a serious matter.

YOU have a responsibility to inform yourself.

I wish you all good health, love and positivity.

Stay safe and stay connected.

In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14

Returning to set in the time of COVID-19

June 30, 2020

Dear ACTRA Members,

ACTRA Branches have been meeting with union leaders, industry stakeholders and governments across the country to establish COVID-19 guidelines that will help to protect the health and safety of cast and crew as the industry reopens and work opportunities return. Although specific and slightly different guidelines are being released in each provincial jurisdiction, they all share similar priorities and two main goals: (1) keeping people healthy; and (2) keeping productions shooting. Film sets are complicated environments, with a large number of people working closely together and crossing paths throughout the day.

Each performer must assess their own risk tolerance when returning to the workplace and make their own decision regarding accepting work. Those with underlying medical conditions should consult with their physician about any increased risk. Performers are especially vulnerable as they move from Hair and Make-up, to Wardrobe, to Holding, to Set, to Lunch, to transport and back again, coming in contact with many individuals. They also have the added risk of performing on camera with others without the protection of masks or physical distancing.

• Productions cannot discriminate against those with a higher risk from COVID-19 when hiring.
• Productions cannot demand a performer waive any contractual or other rights when accepting work, including a right to compensation or health support should they contract COVID-19 in the workplace or inadvertently spread COVID-19.
• Productions will be open to feedback from anyone on set as to how health and safety measures can be better supported, however, performers should recognize that different productions may achieve the same goals through different methods.

Most guidelines call for a dedicated COVID-19 staff person on each set who will ensure safety and cleaning protocols are being followed. Find out who the dedicated COVID-19 staff person is on every production on which you are working.

Performers should expect to be educated daily on the COVID-related protocols being followed on the set. These may include:

• social distancing;
• hand-washing;
• pre-packaged craft service items;
• boxed lunches; and more.

Crew members will be wearing masks and/or face shields and other personal protective equipment (PPE). This is to protect themselves and the performers. Our job as performers is to be professional and to understand and adhere to the set guidelines, keeping ourselves and others safe.

If you are feeling unsafe, your first contact should be with the dedicated COVID-19 staff person or your supervisor. Maybe you see an area that has not been sanitized, or a person who does not seem to be following protocols. Speak up in a respectful manner and help to support the health and safety of everyone.

If you feel unable to speak up, ACTRA members (excluding our UBCP/ACTRA members) can call HAVEN Helpline* (1-855-201-7823), ACTRA’S 24/7 bilingual critical incident reporting line. You will speak with a live person who can pass on your concern to an ACTRA staff member who will be in contact with you and the production as necessary. During business hours, you can also reach out to your local Branch Representative with your concern. Note: under provincial labour law, you have the right to refuse unsafe work.

In British Columbia, our members should always notify their supervisor first, otherwise, for immediate assistance, they should call the Studio Safety Hotline. Members can always reach out to the Union Representative for the production or, outside business hours, they can E-mail report-it@ubcpactra.ca (it is monitored and you will get an auto-reply that provides 24-hour contact information in case of unsafe working conditions (Studios and WorksafeBC).

ACTRA members should bring their own personal COVID-19 kit to set, including:

• a mask;
• a reusable water bottle;
• hand sanitizer;
• a few sterile wipes;
• their own cutlery;
• a pen; and
• a few snacks (e.g. granola bars or fruit).

Although most of these items will likely be available on set, having your own may help you to feel safer in a sometimes chaotic environment.

Producers want these guidelines to work. They want to demonstrate to the world that Canada is ready and able to return safely to work. They want everyone on set to be respectful, safe and healthy. Their business depends on it, as does ours.

Please be safe as you return to the workplace. The challenges of COVID-19 are not over, but if we’re careful, we may be able to work at the craft we love while science works to get us all past this crisis.

In solidarity,
David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14

*HAVEN Helpline, the Harassment and Violence Emergency Network, is also the place to report incidents of sexual harassment, harassment, violence and bullying in the workplace. Call 1-855-201-7823 for immediate 24/7 counselling. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

March 2020

Dear ACTRA members,

In this challenging and unprecedented time, it is important that our ACTRA family takes care of each other. ACTRA members are some of the most thoughtful, compassionate and creative people I know. We will get through this. So please take care of yourselves and your families and stay healthy.

As you know, most productions and events have been impacted by COVID-19. The situation is changing every day… every hour. I want you to know that the elected leaders of our national and local councils are working hard on behalf every member. We have been talking to Government leaders daily, requesting their support and advocacy for our self-employed members.

Our staff have been working tirelessly to ensure the operations of our union stay supported. They have transitioned to working from home, but are still seeing that payments owed to our performers are being distributed, even as they take care of their own families. They are answering member concerns as quickly as possible and providing us all with information as up to date as possible.

As professional performers, we want to know what our future holds. So, let’s ask… I encourage you to call and email your Member of Parliament to inquire about the timing for Emergency Care and Emergency Support Benefits for people working in the entertainment industry. Let them know how important these payments will be to precarious artists in the gig economy. Let them know that we require those payments soon, to pay for rent and food and medications.

Together, we will get through this tough time. Keep visiting www.actra.ca and view the new webpage dedicated to the COVID-19 crisis. It will be updated regularly. I also encourage you to monitor the guidelines and protocols put forth by Canada’s public health officials. Collectively, we must take the steps necessary to protect each other and to put a stop to the outbreak.

Keep following (and tagging @actranat!) on our ACTRA social media platforms. We appreciate your updates, encouragement and support.

Do all you can to take care of yourself and those around you.

In solidarity,

David Sparrow
President
@davesparrow14