A coalition of eight major unions and guilds – representing over 87,000 screenwriters, directors, performers, artists, and crew in Canadian film & television – is calling on Telefilm Canada to stop funding productions that refuse to sign collective agreements or abide by minimum standards, leaving creative industry professionals unprotected.

The organizations, which include Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA), Association des Réalisateurs et Réalisatrices du Québec (ARRQ), Directors Guild of Canada (DGC), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (Canada) (IATSE), NABET 700-M UNIFOR Société des auteurs de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC), Union des artistes (UDA), and Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), are urging the Crown agency to adopt the same policy in place at the Canada Media Fund (CMF), requiring productions funded by Telefilm to remain in good standing with industry unions and guilds.

After meeting with Telefilm in July, the groups say they were disappointed that its concerns weren’t reflected in the agency’s updated Production Program Guidelines in late October. Telefilm representatives reiterated to the coalition there would be no such change for the 2025-26 fiscal year on Nov. 5.

In a letter sent to the agency on Tuesday, the groups said Telefilm’s “problematic practices undermine the entire production ecosystem in Canada, leaving creative industry professionals unrepresented and unprotected.”

“Telefilm has the power to move today to adopt simple measures both to protect workers in Canadian film & television and protect the investments taxpayers make in these projects,” it continued. “This policy allows flexibility for dealing with productions of various scales. It involves no new costs to the agency. And yet, still, Telefilm has failed to act.”

“All of our organizations are steadfast in the belief that taxpayer dollars should not go to fund productions that refuse to sign fair contracts or abide by minimum standards, leaving creative industry professionals both unrepresented and unprotected. The decision of Telefilm to cite labour laws and bureaucratic jargon to punt this issue down the road is unacceptable.”

Dave Forget, National Executive Director, DGC, said taxpayer funding shouldn’t go to productions that refuse to sign fair contracts.

“Telefilm is investing taxpayer dollars in these projects. Experienced creative professionals like our members are the boots on the ground to ensure monies are well-spent, not misspent,” said Forget.

“It’s beyond urgent that Telefilm Canada ensures that public funds invested in audiovisual productions are used responsibly, as is the case for other public agencies in many industries across Canada,” added Laurent Dubois, General Director, SARTEC. “Could we imagine Canada investing funds in public works projects where tradespeople would be paid below the negotiated minimums?”

Telefilm said in a statement that it is still in discussion with unions and guilds on the issue and exploring “how we can contribute to finding sustainable solutions in this space.”

“We believe that fair working conditions are essential to building a sustainable and thriving audiovisual industry,” the statement said. “As an investor in Canada’s creative industries, Telefilm is committed to supporting a healthy ecosystem grounded in mutual respect, dignity, integrity and inclusivity.”