The CFTPA contends in a January 23 news release that ACTRA proposed a 50% increase in fees for new media production. This is a blatant mischaracterization of events intended to mislead people into thinking that ACTRA is being unreasonable. ACTRA made no such proposal.Instead, what ACTRA requested was that the producers should put a global offer to settle on the table. The CFTPA refused, and so, despite spending from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. with a facilitator, the CFTPA held on to its last position in bargaining which caused the strike, and made no further offer whatsoever. What ACTRA actually proposed was that all the digital media issues should be referred to the jointly-agreed joint committee and get the industry back to work. The producers are fiddling while the industry burns down.

The CFTPA is banking on winning an injunction today in court and breaking the union’s strike through legal orders. The producers’ associations clearly had no intention of participating in the facilitation despite saying they would.

ACTRA has received no offer to settle the points in dispute since bargaining broke off. The CFTPA is adamant that it will force the union to accept ‘internet-for-free’ proposals. The CFTPA has not budged from that position and won’t put a different offer on the table even with the assistance of a facilitator.