Directors Guild Canada BC Strike Deadline Passed, But All Filming Continues Due to a Weird Canadian Law

The strike date for the Canadian Executives Union has ended. When asked if the union was on strike, a spokesperson told Deadline in British Columbia, where in 2008 the BC Labor Board signed safe harbor agreements with industry to ensure stability during collective bargaining, “the answer is not that simple.” In any case, film and television production in the province continues unabated.

Taking advantage of Canadian law, all movies and TV shows currently airing in British Columbia have signed a safe harbor agreement that allows them to continue filming as long as they comply with its terms. If a collective bargaining agreement is eventually reached, they too must comply with its terms.

However, at 3:10 am today, the Guild said it will now “open an employment lawsuit” against any production not covered by the Safe Harbor Agreement. However, there is no one who has not signed so far. The shooting will not affect any other part of Canada. In Toronto, which also hosts filming, like British Columbia, the directors and their crews are represented on another DGC district council, which has their own separate contracts and does not threaten to terminate them.

When contract negotiations were last suspended, DGC BC issued a “strike notice” at 3:10 p.m. Tuesday “No further safe-haven agreements have been reached since,” the spokesperson said. Currently, every game filmed in BC has a safe-haven watchdog. Any production that has signed the Safe Harbor Agreement and complies with its terms is protected from work action. For products not covered by the safe harbor agreement, work can be started at any time after 15:10. All labor activities will be resolved and coordinated by DGC BC.

The union has been negotiating a new contract with AMPTP management and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) for over a year. When negotiations stalled, he asked union members for a “strike authorization”, which was given by the majority (92.2% in favour) on April 8. DGC BC has returned to the negotiating table with the representatives of the companies with its armed strike force. The last attempt to reach a fair deal is on April 25. Talks ended on Tuesday, and the Guild issued a 72-hour “strike warning.” At 3:10 p.m. PDT, it was 72 hours into this afternoon.

According to the union, the main unresolved issues are:

• Minimum Wage Differences: As the minimum wage increases, all wages in low-wage jobs increase.
• Payment terms for Covid tests.
• Salary repayment increases before the last collective bargaining agreement expires.
• Require producers to negotiate more concessions

These problems “mainly affect the most vulnerable and lowest paid positions,” the union said. DGC BC represents entry-level production assistants as well as directors, division 2 directors and unit and production managers, as well as those in departments and assistant managers.

Following the strike announcement on Tuesday, DGC BC CEO Kendry Upton said: “We want job security, but we need an agreement that provides respect, fairness and safety for everyone working under our contract. We care about this industry. We were always ready to negotiate. Employers must do their part and work with us to get a fair deal. ”

The next day, the Film and Television Producers Guild and Independent Producers Trade Association CMPA issued a joint statement: “Our latest offer at DGC BC was a fair offer with significant improvements for Collective Bargaining employees. After meeting with DGC BC again on 25 April, it is clear that significant differences remain. “The path leading both sides to agreement remains a priority, but the choice of the DGC may complicate a resolution in the near future.”