Vancouver Film and TV Directors Vote to Authorize Strike

variety.com:

Gene Maddaus Senior Media WriterThe members of the Directors Guild of Canada in British Columbia have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, after a year of negotiations on a new contract reached an impasse.The union announced that the vote passed with 92.2% support, with 86.2% of eligible members casting a vote.

Union officials hope the vote gives negotiators the leverage to seek greater concessions in talks with film and TV producers.“We thank our members for the solidarity they have shown with this overwhelming mandate,” said Allan Harmon, the chairman of the union’s British Columbia council. “Their strength and resolve make it clear that respect, fairness and safety in the workplace are non-negotiable.” The union — which represents 1,700 film and TV workers in the Vancouver area — called the strike vote on Monday, the first in its history.A strike threatens to shut down production in Vancouver, which has become a key hub for TV series in recent years thanks to tax credits from the provincial and national governments.Productions that are already underway in the province would be protected in the event of a strike, as the British Columbia Labour Relations Board has mandated the use of “safe harbor” agreements during the negotiations.

And new productions can still come to the province and sign a safe harbor agreement until a strike is actually called.In a statement this week, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers and the Canadian Media Producers Association warned that the strike authorization vote sends “a message of labor uncertainty in the province and seriously jeopardizes British Columbia’s reputation as an attractive location for motion picture production.”“Considering the potential for.