British Columbia film unions and guilds have recently ratified an agreement with North American producers to extend their labor contract agreement for another year, up until March 31, 2025. This agreement includes a 5 percent wage increase for the members of these unions and guilds in British Columbia.
The Directors Guild of Canada’s B.C. branch was the first to accept the earlier deal reached between the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers (AMPTP) and its local counterpart, the B.C. branch of the Canadian Media Producers Association, along with local representatives for IATSE 891, IATSE 669, Teamsters 155, the DGC B.C. branch, and UBCP/ACTRA. All of these unions and guilds have agreed to the one-year contract extension.
In a statement, the board of the DGC B.C. branch expressed their satisfaction with the contract extension, stating that their goal is to create a stable production environment. They also expressed support for the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA as they negotiate their own contracts and hope for a fair result for both unions. Once these negotiations are concluded, the stable labor environment in British Columbia is expected to attract more productions to the region.
This contract extension was crucial for securing labor peace in British Columbia, as provincial labor laws required all five film unions and guilds to accept and ratify the proposed extension. The extension applies to the B.C. Master Production Agreement, which governs wage rates and workplace conditions on film and TV sets in the province. The current agreement was set to expire on March 31, 2024.
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The agreement comes at a time when American productions in Vancouver have slowed down due to strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. By agreeing to the contract extension, the local unions and guilds aim to ensure that they have work when American production resumes after successful negotiations. It also provides North American producers with labor peace in British Columbia, which is a major production hub for American film and TV series shoots. As long as the collective agreement with the AMPTP is in effect, local unions cannot declare a strike.
Moreover, the one-year extension allows the B.C. unions and guilds to build on potential gains resulting from new labor deals for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA and negotiate their own new contracts with the AMPTP when American production is expected to return to strength next year. However, the decision to extend the agreement faced opposition from unions and guilds in the rest of Canada who were concerned about reducing leverage for Canadian actors when renegotiating their own labor deals.
Despite this opposition, the majority of unions and guilds in British Columbia accepted the contract extension in order to provide stability and ensure future work opportunities. This extension follows a previous agreement that included a 3 percent wage increase for guild members. The hope is that with the ratification of this extended agreement, the film and TV industry in British Columbia will continue to thrive and attract more productions in the coming years.
