With a strike authorization vote now underway in British Columbia among members of the Directors Guild of Canada, the AMPTP and the Canadian Media Producers Association are warning that labor instability in the region could force producers to think twice about filming there.
The two employer groups, which have been bargaining with the union for more than a year, said in a joint statement on Wednesday that “The DGC BC’s strike authorization vote sends a message of labour uncertainty in the province and seriously jeopardizes British Columbia’s reputation as an attractive location for motion picture production.
Considering the potential for labor instability in British Columbia, companies represented by the AMPTP and CMPA may be forced to re-evaluate their plans for basing new productions in the province.”The guild, whose current contract expired on March 31, 2021, is asking for a “strike mandate” from its 1,700 members that would authorize a strike if the companies won’t budge from their current bargaining position.
That vote concludes on Thursday and is expected to be overwhelmingly approved, although a strike, if it comes to that, could still be weeks away.
Read more on deadline.com