Canada's Actors and Actresses Set to Walk

The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, ACTRA, will be in a legal position to strike Monday, 8 January 2007, at 12:01 a.m., if a settlement is not reached in the meantime. However, not surprisingly, managment and ownership have other plans in mind. Jeff Brinton of the Canadian Film and Television Production Association said producers would seek a judge’s order to force actors to perform in the event of a mass walkout. Once again, labourers inalienable right to association is being infringed upon by the courts, who have no place in interfering in labour disputes. Management claims that various provincial labour laws disallow a national walkout and that existing agreements require conciliation in the event of a breakdown in negotiations and a grace period before possible job action.

These delay tactics do nothing but weaken labour's position and represent one more hoop for labourers to jump through. If managment doesn't want to settle, that's unfortunate, but they'll see their productions shut down as a result. Allowing these delay tactics do nothing but strenthen managements position. ACTRA members, who on average earn about $12,500/yr are looking for 5%/yr incerases over three years, while management is offering one, two, and one over three years. This is of course less than inflation, and the pitiful wage increases that ACTRA members would recieve under such a deal would simply be eaten up by COLA increases.

Personally, I don't think there is much more working class than hitting a picket line with those Degrassi kids.