The writers in Canada will not go on a strike. The Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) and the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) have reached an agreement in principle on the terms for a new Independent Production Agreement (IPA).
The two organisations jointly announced that they successfully negotiated the CMPA-WGC Independent Production Agreement which establishes the terms, conditions, and rates for writers, story editors, and story consultants. The terms for the new three-year IPA will be sent to the CMPA’s Board of Directors, and distributed by the WGC, for ratification. The current agreement expired on 31 December 2023.
This news came after WGC announced on 25 April that 96.5 per cent of its members have voted in favour of authorising strike action if there is no resolution in its negotiations with CMPA. The WGC had been fighting for an agreement to protect its live action and animation writers against AI, negotiate reasonable compensation for animation writers, and secure minimum participation of screenwriters during production of television series.
CMPA is the national advocacy organisation for independent producers, representing companies engaged in the development, production and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema, and digital media channels. WGC represents 2,500 professional English-language screenwriters across Canada, the creators of Canadian entertainment enjoyed on all screens.
“We are proud to have come to terms on an agreement that truly values the important alliance that exists between Canadian screenwriters and independent producers,” said CMPA National Industrial Relations and Counsel vice-president Sean Porter. “I want to thank the individuals on both sides of the bargaining table for their commitment to finding solutions that serve to benefit the future of our sector and Canadian storytelling on screen.”
“We are pleased to have reached a fair agreement with the CMPA that will protect the livelihoods of our screenwriter members and maintain stability in the Canadian film and television industry,” said WGC executive director Victoria Shen. “We feel the new agreement includes important protections for Canadian screenwriters and balances the concerns of our producer partners.”
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