IPA Tentative Agreement Voting is Closed
IPA Ratification Voting is Closed
Dear Members,
ACTRA IPA Tentative Agreement
ACTRA has successfully reached a tentative Agreement with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and the Association Québécoise de la Production Médiatique (AQPM) to renew the Independent Production Agreement (IPA) for a three-year term. If ratified, the 2025-2027 IPA will take effect immediately.
ACTRA National held a Town Hall webinar on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 6 p.m. ET to discuss the details of the tentative agreement.
Ratification voting opened on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, at 12 p.m. ET and will close on Tuesday, January 21, 2025, at 12 pm. ET. Eligible voters received their voting package via email from ACTRA National on January 13, 2025. Online ballots were sent by ElectionBuddy, the third-party online voting software company engaged to conduct the online vote, when voting opened at 12:00 p.m. ET on January 14, 2025.
ACTRA Toronto held a virtual Town Hall on Thursday, January 16, 2025, from 7-9 p.m. ET to review the terms of the tentative deal and answer Toronto members’ questions about this groundbreaking new agreement. Registration is required. ACTRA Toronto members: registration details were sent by email on Tuesday, January 14, 2025.
Ratification voting results will be announced soon.
WATCH: ACTRA Toronto Executive Director Alistair Hepburn, ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble and ACTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator Marie Kelly walk you through the IPA Tentative Agreement.
Time Stamps:
00:00: Opening remarks from Eleanor Noble
03:10: Meet the IPA Bargaining Committee
06:20: Marie Kelly provides an overview of the Memorandum of Agreement
52:50: Alistair Hepburn provides an overview of the new AI provisions
1:16:00: Next steps on ratification with Eleanor Noble
Read ACTRA National’s Tentative Agreement Notice sent to all members on December 23, 2024.
Key Dates
October 10, 2024 – Exchange of proposals
November 4 to 14 – Bargaining began in Montreal
December 9 to 14 – Bargaining continues in Toronto
December 21 – Tentative Agreement reached
January 13 – ACTRA National Townhall webinar at 6 p.m. ET
January 14 – IPA ratification referendum voting opened at 12 p.m. ET
January 20 – Join ACTRA Toronto Councillors from 11:00 -2:00 p.m. at the ACTRA Toronto office for an in-person session to talk about the Tentative Agreement.
January 21 – IPA ratification referendum voting closed at 12 p.m. ET
ACTRA Toronto members on the IPA Bargaining Team
Get to know your IPA Bargaining Team
Get to know your sibling ACTRA Toronto members who have stepped up to represent you during 2024 IPA bargaining. Find out why they decided to participate, what they hope to achieve during negotiations this fall, what they have been shocked to learn (so far) and more!
IPA Bargaining Themes
The key issues – or themes – faced by Canadian performers are the same as those faced by SAG-AFTRA members in the U.S. during their 2023 negotiations. At the forefront of these issues are artificial intelligence, accessibility for members, inflation, the lack of inclusion on sets, and residuals, specifically for streaming content.
The acronym AIR is an easy way to remember ACTRA’s key negotiating issues in this round of bargaining.
- A: Artificial Intelligence; Accessibility.
- I: Inclusion; Increases.
- R: Residuals; Respect.
Learn more about these issues through the resources found below.
Accessibility
While 27% of the Canadian population aged 15+ identify as having a disability, why aren’t our sets and screens equally accessible for people with disabilities? This article examines how a more equitable screen industry requires an industry-wide commitment and willingness to foster change. (7-minute read)
Artificial Intelligence
With Artificial intelligence (AI) advancing at a rapid speed, we need to ensure legislation is put in place to protect people and jobs. Learn more about where Canada sits on a global scale and what ACTRA Toronto is doing to protect workers and empower members to drive change. (7-minute read)
ACTRA Toronto Executive Director Alistair Hepburn and ACTRA National Executive Director & Chief Negotiator Marie Kelly react to a report commissioned by the CMPA on artificial intelligence.
With AI advancing rapidly, the stakes at the bargaining table have skyrocketed, making it essential to protect jobs. Don’t miss this episode of ACTRA Toronto Reel Talk as Kate Ziegler and Amy Matysio dive into this topic and more critical issues facing performers today.
With the explosion of new AI tools being the most recent disruptor in the screen-based media industry, what are the key issues facing performers? (7-minute read)
Check out ACTRA Toronto’s AI Resources page to learn more about AI and its impact on the screen-based industries.
Increases
While all Canadians are feeling the pinch on their household incomes thanks to skyrocketing inflation, there are other costs downloaded onto performers to shoulder in this Big Squeeze era. (4-minute read)
Inflationary costs and food insecurity are hitting Canadian workers hard, including those in Canada’s entertainment industry. ACTRA’s IPA provides critical protections, including minimum rates and financial benefits. Find out how these agreements rely on the collective strength of the membership to ensure their terms are upheld. (7-minute read)
Residuals
For years there has been a deliberate practice among Hollywood studios to use tricky accounting and tax loopholes to make it seem like many movies they make end up as losses. Exempting them from paying taxes on production costs, and getting them out of profit sharing deals with actors and directors. But how do these tax loopholes and accounting tricks work? And should we try to close them? (9-minute watch)
Multi-billion-dollar corporations have grown into the corporate behemoths we see today thanks to the hard work and vision of the global creative class. While these international conglomerates have profited off the work of creators, it’s the creative class that struggles to make ends meet. It’s time to recognize the contributions of the creative class by paying them what they’re worth. (6-minute read)
Residuals payments – or Use fees – have been part of our industry and union for almost 100 years so why is it so important to update IPA Use fees in the age of streaming? (6-minute read)
You may have heard of terms such as buyouts, residuals or royalties. Let’s talk about what exactly a residual payment is and how things work in Canada. (4-minute read)