Agreement to take effect on January 1, 2019

TORONTO – October 3rd, 2018 - Today, the Directors Guild of Canada and the Canadian Media Producers Association jointly announced the ratification of a new DGC-CMPA Standard Agreement. The three-year deal establishes the terms, conditions and rates for directors and other professional crew members engaged in film, television and digital media productions.

“The stellar reputation of Canada’s production industry is in no small part thanks to the dynamic partnership between producers, directors and the many talented crew members behind the camera, and this new agreement is a testament to that indispensable synergy,” said Warren Ross, the CMPA’s Vice-President of National Industrial Relations and Senior Counsel. “Especially during this period of significant change in the screen-based production sector, the stability and predictability that this deal represents are more important than ever.”

The two groups reached an agreement in principle in July after constructive negotiations between the parties. The newly ratified accord gives directors a 2.5 per cent wage increase in 2019, followed by three per cent increases in 2020 and 2021. Crew members will see a general yearly wage increase of three per cent in each of the three years of the deal.

“With the ratification of this agreement, the CMPA and its members have endorsed the imaginative and inventive role all DGC members bring to television, motion pictures and digital production,” noted Bill Skolnik, Lead Negotiator and DGC Ontario Executive Director & CEO. “Directors, in particular, will now be recognized not only for their contribution at the production level but also in the exhibition of their works across all platforms.”

Dave Forget, DGC National Executive Director added: "We're thrilled to have this agreement signed and ratified this early in the calendar. This package delivers certainty for producers and filmmakers planning future projects for next year and guarantees robust and competitive compensation with significant gains for our membership."

The 2019-2021 CMPA-DGC Standard Agreement will take effect on January 1, 2019 and will apply to all productions in Canada, excluding British Columbia and Quebec, commencing principal photography on or after that date.

-30-

ABOUT THE CMPA
The Canadian Media Producers Association is the national advocacy organization for independent producers, representing hundreds of companies engaged in the development and distribution of English-language content made for television, cinema and digital media channels. We work to promote the continued success of the Canadian production sector and to ensure a bright future for the diverse content made by our members for both domestic and international audiences. cmpa.ca

ABOUT THE DGC
The Directors Guild of Canada (DGC) is a national labour organization that represents over 4,800 key creative and logistical personnel in the screen-based industry covering all areas of direction, design, production and editing. The DGC negotiates and administers collective agreements and lobbies extensively on issues of concern for members including Canadiancontent conditions, CRTC regulations and ensuring that funding is maintained for Canadian screen-based programming.

For more information:

Kyle O’Byrne
Manager, Media Relations & Communications, CMPA
kyle.obyrne@cmpa.ca

Anne-Marie Stuart
Director of Communications, DGC Ontario
astuart@dgc.ca

Ian Gillespie
Director of Communications, DGC National
igillespie@dgc.ca