Canadian film and television unions and guilds have come together to form FAIR, the Film & Television Alliance for Industry Responsibility, dedicated to ensuring accountable industry policy and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.

Comprised of 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 (IATSE), NABET 700-M UNIFOR, Société des auteur.e.trice.s de radio, télévision et cinéma (SARTEC), L’Union des Artistes (UDA), and Writers Guild of Canada (WGC), the groups has been lobbying Telefilm Canada to adopt the same policy in place at the Canada Media Fund (CMF) requiring producers to remain in good standing with industry unions and guilds to qualify for funding.

FAIR says 27% of productions with budgets over $5 million aren’t signing collective agreements, while 65% of productions with budgets under $1 million sign with only half, or fewer, of the applicable unions and guilds. Just 31% of productions in the middle, with budgets between $1 million and $5 million, sign with half, or fewer.

Telefilm told Broadcast Dialogue earlier this month that it was still in discussion with unions and guilds on the issue.

At Thursday’s Telefilm Annual Public Assembly, the group challenged the Crown agency on its plan to hold production companies accountable in the absence of adopting policy on the issue.

Telefilm President Julie Roy reiterated the agency’s position that while “committed to supporting a healthy ecosystem that thrives in a culture of integrity, dignity, and mutual respect,” Telefilm is still “in discussions with unions and guilds on these matters, and we are exploring how we can contribute to finding sustainable solutions in this space.”