Political Action - ACTRA National

Prioritizing Performers in Canada’s Next Budget

As the federal government prepares its next budget, ACTRA is making sure the voices of Canadian performers and challenges facing our industry are front and centre.

In our pre-budget submission, we outline the urgent needs of performers and the screen-based industry — from fair compensation and stable funding, to protecting Canadian storytelling in a rapidly shifting digital landscape.

This is a critical moment for our industry. What happens in this budget could shape the future of work for performers across the country.

Click here to explore ACTRA’s pre-budget submission to the Government of Canada and why it matters to you.

Film & TV Unions and Guilds Launch “FAIR” Coalition to Demand Responsible Industry Policy & Fair Use of Taxpayer Dollars

Unions and guilds representing over 87,000 screenwriters, directors, performers, artists and crew in Canadian film & television joined together today to form FAIR, the Film & Television Alliance for Industry Responsibility. This new coalition is dedicated to ensuring accountable industry policy and the responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

Read the coalition release here

ACTRA Appears Before Finance Committee in Ottawa

ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble and National Executive Director Marie Kelly appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in Ottawa, raising the issues of performers to government in preparation for the next Federal Budget.

Protecting performers’ careers against corporate greed, union busting practices, unchecked artificial intelligence and bolstering Canadian content on our screens are just some of ACTRA’s submissions which you can read more on below in our Federal Budget 2024 Submission post.

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Art Is Human

ACTRA recognizes the existential threat Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses to members, and we are aggressively lobbying the Federal government as it prepares to introduce the Artificial Intelligence and Data Act (AIDA) this fall.

ACTRA believes AI technology must evolve in a way that respects human inspiration and ingenuity. Three core principles must underpin any new AI legislation:

Consent: performers should have the right to consent to, and be credited for, the use of the Name, Image, Likeness Rights (NIL Rights).

Compensation: performers should be compensated for all AI uses of their NIL Rights.

Control: performers should be able to control the use of their name, image and likeness.

Read our executive summary and formal submission on Bill C-27.

Read our AI Survey Results available in English and French.

Learn More

ACTRA believes AI technology must evolve in a way that respects human inspiration and ingenuity. Three core principles must underpin any new AI legislation:

Consent: performers should have the right to consent to, and be credited for, the use of the Name, Image, Likeness Rights (NIL Rights).

Compensation: performers should be compensated for all AI uses of their NIL Rights.

Control: performers should be able to control the use of their name, image and likeness.

Read our executive summary and formal submission on Bill C-27.

Read our AI Survey Results available in English and French.

Learn More

Federal Budget 2024 Submission

ACTRA’s National President Eleanor Noble and the union’s National Executive Director, Marie Kelly, will be appearing before the federal Standing Committee on Finance on Octover 19, 2023 to lobby for more supports for performers to build sustainable careers.

ACTRA is proposing that the first $15,000 of professional artistic income must be tax free. We also want a four-year back-averaging system for professional income to ensure tax fairness, and changes to Employment Insurance to permit self-employed artists to receive regular benefits.

ACTRA is asking Ottawa to operationalize Status of the Artist Act by requiring all every producer of Canadian content that recieves governmemt funding must adhere to the terms and conditions of the appropriate collective agreements negotiated by ACTRA and other unions and guilds with bargaining rights.

ACTRA is demanding the federal government’s procurement policy be revised to forbid the use of replacement workers, directly or indirectly through subcontractors and to ensure the federal government’s advertising “Agency of Record,” be signatory to ACTRA’s National Commercial Agreement.

Read more in ACTRA’s full 2024 Budget Submission.

Learn More

PREVIOUS SUBMISSIONS AND REPORTS:

Click here to see our previous submissions to the Federal Government

Broadcasting

ACTRA Appears Before Finance Committee in Ottawa ACTRA National President Eleanor Noble and National Executive Director Marie Kelly appeared before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance in Ottawa, raising the issues of performers to government in preparation for the next Federal Budget.
Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications: Bill C-11 (November 1, 2022) ACTRA's submission provides additional comments arising from the study undertaken by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications on Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act.
Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications (October 13, 2022) Joint response from ACTRA and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) to the request for information about Canadian production statistics following our respective appearances before the Committee regarding the Online Streaming Act (Bill C-11).
Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Bill C-11 (May 30, 2022) ACTRA appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to share our thoughts as part of the Committee’s study of Bill C-11.
Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Bill C-10 (March 22, 2021) ACTRA appeared before the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to share our thoughts as part of the Committee’s study of Bill C-10.
An Act to amend the Broadcasting Act (Bill C-10) ACTRA has identified four areas of concern in the proposed legislative changes and has drafted proposed solutions to address them.
Broadcasting Telecommunications Legislative Review External Panel (January 11, 2019) ACTRA’s submission to the Panel includes recommendations on issues related both to the legislative framework as well as policies and programs dealing specifically with the theme of supporting creation, production and discoverability of Canadian content.

Budget

Standing Committee on Finance: 2023 Pre-Budget Submission (October 5, 2022) House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance’s call for comments on the 2023 Federal Budget.
Federal Budget 2024 Submission (August 1, 2023) ACTRA's pre-budget submission to the Federal Government in preparation for the 2024 budget.

Copyright

Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science and Industry (September 17, 2021) ACTRA's submission to Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science and Industry regarding their joint Consultation on a Modern Copyright Framework for Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things.
Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science and Industry (May 31, 2021) ACTRA’s submission to Canadian Heritage and Innovation, Science and Industry regarding their joint Consultation on a Modern Copyright Framework for Online Intermediaries.
Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology: Copyright Act (December 7, 2018) ACTRA submitted its recommendations in response to the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology’s current statutory review of the Copyright Act and asks the Act be amended to reflect the new economic reality in which artists operate.
Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: Artist Remuneration and the Copyright Act (December 2018) ACTRA's submission to the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage outlining our position on remuneration models and the opportunities for new access points for artists and creative industries in the context of copyright.

CRTC

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada: Order Issuing a Direction to the CRTC (March 29, 2019) ACTRA’s submission to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada regarding an Order Issuing a Direction to the CRTC regarding the implementation of Canadian Telecommunications Policy Objectives to Promote Competition, Affordability, Consumer Interests and Innovation.

Trade

Global Affairs Canada: Accession of new economies to the CPTPP (August 23, 2019) Global Affairs Canada’s public consultation concerning the conditions under which new economies may become Party to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Global Affairs Canada: World Trade Organization negotiations on E-Commerce (April 25, 2019) Global Affairs Canada’s public consultation concerning Canada’s position in the World Trade Organization negotiations on E-Commerce.
Global Affairs Canada: North American Free Trade Agreement Submission (July 18, 2017) ACTRA’s submission to Global Affairs Canada asking that cultural policy-making remain a priority in the renegotiation of NAFTA.

Other

Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship: extending permanent residency to migrant workers (October 12, 2022) ACTRA's letter to the Government of Canada in support of the creation of a bold and progressive plan to support migrants and undocumented people.
Joint petition to Governor in Council to refer back the CBC/Radio Canada licence renewal decision (CRTC 2022-165) to the CRTC for reconsideration (August 5, 2022) ACTRA and the Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) filed a joint petition to the Governor in Council in August 2022 with respect to Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2022-165. The decision in its current form presents material risks of undermining the mandate of the CBC and the Canadian broadcasting policy as set out in the Broadcasting Act.
Employment and Social Development Canada: Consultation (Phase 2) on Modernizing Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program (July 27, 2022) ACTRA's submission to Employment and Social Development Canada with recommendations on how to ensure the adequacy of EI benefits and the financial sustainability of the EI program.
Employment and Social Development Canada: Consultation (Phase 1) on Modernizing Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program (October 8, 2021) ACTRA's submission to Employment and Social Development Canada with recommendations on how to make Canada's EI program accessible for self-employed workers.
Prime Minister of Canada: COVID-19 vaccinations (June 21, 2021) ACTRA's letter to the prime minister urging the federal government to develop international standards and co-ordination on a registry of acceptable COVID-19 vaccines.

Click here to see our previous submissions to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2019-90-1 (July 29, 2021) ACTRA's submission to the CRTC call for comments requesting additional information for the digital media survey.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2019-379 (February 25, 2021) ACTRA's submission in response to questions asked by the Commission and related issues that arose during the public hearing phase of the process.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2020-336 (October 16, 2020) ACTRA's submission in response to the Canadian Association of Broadcasters' request for regulatory relief for Canadian broadcasters in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2019-379 (July 13, 2020) ACTRA's submission in response to the CBC's filing of additional financial information on CBC/SRC’s digital activities.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2019-379 (February 20, 2020) ACTRA’s submission in response to the call for comments concerning the renewal of the licences of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation/Société Radio-Canada. In its submission, ACTRA stated its wish to appear at the public hearings to present its views and address matters raised by other intervenors.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2019-91 (July 5, 2019) Call for comments concerning the Commission’s policy on Canadian programming expenditure (CPE) requirements.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2019-90 (May 14, 2019) Call for comments concerning a new annual digital media survey.
Broadcasting Notice of Consultation – CRTC 2018-488 (March 5, 2019) ACTRA’s submission regarding the call for comments concerning the Production Reports that are to be completed annually by large English- and French-language ownership groups. The new report would replace the Programs of National Interest Report. It would include information related to programs of national interest but would be expanded to comprise all Canadian programming expenditure categories, except news and sports programming.