ACTRA takes its strike action to Quebec

GUY DIXON
Globe and Mail

Toronto -- The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists officially broadened its strike to Quebec yesterday.

All productions which could have been subject to strike action have signed letters of continuation with ACTRA. This allows work to continue on set with a 5-per-cent increase in wages for actors plus an increase in benefits, as stipulated by the union's initial proposal at the labour talks.

Negotiations broke down last weekend over how to pay actors for work done for the Internet and other new media.

The CFTPA filed a suit in Ontario Tuesday against ACTRA claiming that the letters of continuation are illegal because they break the protocol for strike action as outlined in the old collective agreement between the CFTPA and ACTRA.

According to Stephen Waddell, ACTRA's chief negotiator, the court did not issue an interim injunction to stop ACTRA from using continuation letters..