Lights, camera, strike: Union vote could impact Vancouver film industry
A union vote to approve a strike mandate could have major implications for the Vancouver film industry.
The BC branch of the Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC BC), representing over 1,700 Vancouver film industry employees, voted heavily in favour of a strike mandate. Of the members who partook, 92.2% voted yes, with 86.2% of eligible voters casting a ballot.
In the short term, this doesn’t mean that Vancouver film industry workers will be walking off the job, but it could still have a significant impact on productions in Vancouver.
DGC BC could decide to strike if the negotiation producers don’t respond to its legitimate concerns.
“Should we choose to issue strike notice, we’ll be communicating that clearly to you, to the Employers, and to the BC Labour Board,” reads a DGC BC statement.
You voted, and the results are in: 92.2% of DGC BC Members and eligible Permittee Logbook Holders voted yes for our first-ever strike mandate!#DGCStrong #DGCStrikeMandate #DGCStrongerTogether pic.twitter.com/DRAgBjvCfl
— DGC BC (@DGCBC) April 8, 2022
The union is bargaining with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) and the BC Producers Branch of the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA).
“We are fighting to achieve and maintain fundamental rights for everyone working under our collective agreement,” said DGC BC District Council Chairman Allan Harman in a statement.
According to the statement, the union has been in year-long negotiations with bargaining representatives from AMPTP and CMPA.
DGC BC workers are a collective of creative and logistical personnel in the film and TV industry, ranging from entry-level production assistants to feature directors.
“Our goal is to reach a fair agreement. We all care about this industry, so let’s roll up our sleeves, get back to the table and find a solution,” added DGC BC Executive Director Kendrie Upton.
The DGC BC state that the issues primarily impact the lowest paid and most vulnerable positions.
Key unresolved issues according to DGC BC:
- Minimum wage differentials: as minimum wage increases, so should all wage rates of lower-paid positions
- Payment terms for COVID testing
- Retroactivity of wage increases to the expiry of the last collective agreement
- The Negotiating Producers’ demands for further concessions
Daily Hive has reached out to both CMPA and AMPTP. A joint release statement was released prior to the approval of the strike mandate.
“After being so close to reaching an agreement, the DGC BC then made additional demands, and the opportunity for settlement evaporated. Now, the Guild is asking its members to authorize the calling of a strike, based on demands that were not part of the mediator’s recommendations.”
A member of the DGC BC contacted Daily Hive, suggesting that the CMPA and AMPTP are threatening to move productions elsewhere, but he imagines that is a very unlikely scenario considering how enshrined film and TV productions have become in Vancouver.
“There are not a lot of places with the experienced crew, equipment, trucks, trailers, willing property owners, and support infrastructure to support this level of production. With the streaming wars bringing most of these production hubs near to maximum capacity already, there is nowhere else for these productions to go.”
Follow Channels and Categories