In response to the Writers Guild of America strike, the Writers Guild of Canada sent the following message to its members today:
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) announced this morning that its members were going out on strike effective immediately after weeks of negotiations with the AMPTP. Despite best efforts by the WGA bargaining team to negotiate a fair deal upon the termination of its collective agreement as of May 1, their attempts have failed.
As a fellow guild and member of the International Affiliation of Writers Guilds, the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC) will support the WGA during its strike to the fullest extent possible. The compensation issues raised by WGA writers are the same concerns affecting writers around the world.
As a member of the WGC, you have certain obligations as set out under the WGC Constitution and By-Laws. The following rules will govern the conduct of the WGC and its members for the duration of the WGA strike:
1. If you are a dual member of the WGC and the WGA and you reside in the U.S., WGA strike rules apply. Should you have questions, please contact the WGA directly.
2. If you are a WGC member and a Canadian resident (as confirmed by the WGC database), you may continue to work under the Independent Production Agreement (IPA) which remains in force until December 31, 2023. You may not accept “struck work” (By-Law 12). Struck work includes anything that is normally a WGA show. For example, this includes U.S.-based productions and productions that are already under a WGA contract.
3. If you are a dual member of the WGC and the WGA, and a Canadian resident (as confirmed by the WGC database), you may continue to work for producers who are properly signatory to the IPA. You may not accept “struck work” (see above) or work under a WGA contract.
4. If you have an existing writing contract under the WGC IPA with a WGA waiver which has not yet been fully delivered upon, please contact the WGC.
Statements from WGC Leadership
Victoria Shen, Executive Director: “The WGC, along with writers guilds around the world, stands in solidarity with the WGA in their strike action for fair compensation for writers. We hope for a swift and fair resolution.”
Alex Levine, President: “The compensation issues that pushed WGA members to strike apply to all writers in the digital streaming age. WGC members support WGA writers in their fight for fairness, and we applaud their strength and collective resolve.”
We will keep our members apprised of any new developments. We wish our colleagues in the U.S. a speedy resolution to this strike.
Sincerely yours,
Alex Levine, President
Victoria Shen, Executive Director
