On January 8, 2007, for the first time in its 64-year history, ACTRA, the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, went on strike against the Canadian Film and Television Production Association (CFTPA), which is the non-profit trade association representing almost 400 Canadian production companies involved in television, film, and interactive media.
The Canadian actors’ union represents the interests of 21,000 members across Canada. According to a statement on its web site, Canadian actors earn nearly 30% less than American actors when both are working on a Canadian film set. Thus, the union is demanding a rate increase from the producers’ organization that “would ensure they do not fall further behind [their American counterparts].”
In addition, ACTRA is seeking “fair compensation” from CFTPA for acting work done on the internet. “We will not have our work put on the internet for free,” the union says.
As in most hotly contested labor disputes, both sides are fighting to protect their self-interest, and each is blaming the other for failing to return to talks. In late January, CFTPA took ACTRA to Superior Court in Ontario in an attempt to end the strike, arguing that it was unlawful — a position CFTPA continues to maintain, even as it participates in negotiations. In response to the claim of illegality, The Canadian Superior Court encouraged both sides to get to the bargaining table to end the dispute.
To this end, Jean-Pierre Blackburn, the Federal Minister of Labour, appointed Chief Mediator Elizabeth MacPherson to assist in the ACTRA/CFTPA clash. In a letter dated February 2, 2007, Minister Blackburn stated, “In my view, the continued production of Canadian films and television programs is too important to Canada and to the Canadian economy to be jeopardized by [the] current dispute.”
Obviously, it’s impossible to say how all this will end. After a two-day mediation session, which ended February 8, 2007, it appeared that CFTPA was moving closer to ACTRA’s demands on the issues of film and internet compensation, but ACTRA says the movement is not nearly enough. Thus, no agreement has yet been reached, and at the time of this writing, no dates have been set for bargaining talks to resume. Each side accuses the other of having walked out of the meeting.
“The industry is in complete limbo right now,” says Jeff Brinton, CFTPA’s Director of Communications and Media. While not denying the sentiment, National ACTRA President Richard Hardacre maintains that “talks are going on behind the scenes,” and that “sensible people are doing their best to craft a deal and to stabilize the industry.”
South of the Canadian border, Actors’ Equity Association, which represents more than 45,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States, has “resolved to stand in solidarity with ACTRA and instructs Equity members to not accept struck work in ACTRA jurisdiction,” according to a union statement. (Full Disclosure: I am a member-in-good-standing of Actors Equity.)
But even as American actors stand in philosophical support of their neighbors to the north, many New York members find themselves at odds with the union over the rules governing certain types of auditions — so much so that a petition has begun circulating that requests that the east coast branch of AEA “re-examine its audition procedures.”
Equity Principal Auditions, or EPAs, are auditions for principal (leading) roles in Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional stage productions. Any producer creating a show with Equity contracts is obligated to hold this type of audition — with the possiblility of there being contractual exceptions or concessions. The idea behind EPAs is to put non-represented union actors (i.e., without agents) on equal footing with represented actors –who are granted separate audition appointments via agent submissions.
On a given day, to sign up for one of the six available EPA time slots in any twenty-minute period (there are usually 125-130 audition slots in one day), an actor must report to the audition location one hour prior to the start of the call. And for years, actors in major cities across the US have dutifully done so. But, according to a growing number of union members, many people line up as early as 5 a.m. to secure an audition slot when highly-reputable regional companies or Broadway shows hold EPAs.
“And what kind of an audition can you possibly give after getting up at 4 a.m. and then waiting in line for four hours?” asks Jennifer, a union actress who wishes her last name withheld. “The subway doesn’t run [efficiently] at that time of the morning, so the policy only benefits those living closest to the audition center.”
Jodie, another New York-based actress, agrees. “The goal was to give fair and equal access to un-represented union actors. But the process of signing up for an EPA has created a situation that is anything but fair or equal. I think if we, as actors, respected ourselves a little more as people, we would never wait outside for so many hours just to do a two-minute monologue or sing a short song.”
Attempting to resolve this issue, AEA branches in both Los Angeles and Chicago have been allowing actors to sign up a week in advance for a reserved number of audition slots on the date of the call, while leaving some slots for day-of sign-ups. (LA actors are able to go to the Equity Office during the week prior to the audition; Chicago has a similar procedure, but also allows actors to phone in their reservations.) Each city imposes stiff penalties should an actor fail to cancel if he or she cannot make the appointment.
In New York City, on the other hand, an actor has no other way to sign up except to wait in line on audition day.
None of these three cities has yet to provide a way to sign up online.
“And that,” says one union member, “has got to change.”
We’ll keep an eye on developments.
