We have listened to the many voices being raised in the writing community on the issue of bringing the Story Coordinator role into the IPA, first brought to the fore by a petition initiated by BIPOC TV & Film on June 5, 2020.
The WGC also wishes to protect and nurture the careers of young writers as they come up through Canadian TV writing rooms, and we have heard from our members over the past days how the the role of the Story Coordinator has changed. We now recognize that the position has evolved to include many different responsibilities since we last looked at this issue ourselves a few years ago.
As such, the WGC will approach the CMPA to discuss the inclusion of Story Coordinators in the Independent Production Agreement with a new definition. We still have concerns about jurisdictional overlap with IATSE 411, but we are committed to raising this issue as part of a bargaining agenda as soon as possible.
The Guild is just closing the first year of our 2019-2022 IPA. It is extremely rare for the parties involved to agree to reopen and change any aspect of a ratified agreement, so we can make no promises as to an exact date, but we will bring this issue to the table.
The WGC also plans to meet and discuss the matter with working Story Coordinators regarding the role and responsibilities of that position as it's currently performed.
We will also do our best to remain engaged with our membership on the many issues that will be sure to come up before the next round of bargaining. We want to assure you that your voices have been heard and we will provide updates on this issue as they become available.
