Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe union representing film and TV directors in British Columbia called for a strike authorization vote on Monday, after negotiations with the studios broke down.The Directors Guild of Canada represents about 1,700 workers in British Columbia, including directors, second unit directors, location managers and production assistants.
The union has been in talks for the last year on a new contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Canadian Media Producers Association.On Monday, the union said that the talks are at an impasse, after the producers rejected a proposal from a government mediator.The union called on its members to vote for a strike mandate, which would give the union’s leaders the power to call a strike.
A strike could paralyze the industry in British Columbia, which has become a significant hub for TV series production in recent years.
The vote is set to begin at 9 a.m. Wednesday and conclude at 5 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. The strike vote is the first in the history of the DGC’s B.C.
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