Guelph’s Tim Beresford has had enough of a two-year lockout that has impacted the work of himself and thousands of actors, performers and artists across the country.
But one of the issues the union is dealing with is the fact many don’t even know this dispute is even happening.
“People here are still learning that we’ve been locked out,” Beresford said. “I think it’s the longest labour lockout in Canadian history, and people don’t even know about it.”
ACTRA – the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists – has been at odds with the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) negotiating a new deal.
ACTRA represents some 28,000 actors, performers, motion capture artists and other workers both in front and behind the camera.
This dispute is not to be confused with the highly publicized strike in the United States involving members of SAG-AFTRA, which got resolved last fall after 118 days on the picket lines.
ACTRA is considered the sibling to SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. The two frequently lobbied together last year.
The situation has had a major impact on Beresford and other ACTRA members, many who have taken on additional jobs just to make ends meet.
Beresford said he has lost access to about 90 per cent of jobs he had in the last two years.
According to his IMDB page, he has been an actor and writer, with credits in work dating back to 2004.
He has appeared in shows such as Blue Mountain State, Haven, Designated Survivor and The Boys.
His commercial work stretches a wide array of companies. He was the longtime voice heard in Toyota commercials. Beresford has also voiced commercials for RBC, Lay's, Volkswagen, Boston Pizza and Pet Valu.
He is still able to work film and television spots, but commercial work is out of the equation.
Without that income, Beresford has been working roughly 60 hours a week on construction sites.
“How much do I work? From early in the morning until late at night, six, seven days a week,” Beresford said. “And that’s not a unique story. That’s absolutely every actor in this country.
“It’s a fucking mess right now.”
The National Commercial Agreement between ACTRA, the ICA and its partners was up for negotiations, but talks fell apart in 2022. It’s an agreement re-negotiated every couple years since the 1960s.
Since the dispute began, there have been accusations and claims from both sides that the other side denies.
ACTRA says the ICA proposed concessions and large pay cuts to performers, some as much as 57 per cent. The ICA stated in an open letter last September it proposed an immediate eight per cent pay raise for members, among other things.
Last fall, a mediator determined the two sides were too far apart on issues to continue.
Scott Knox, the president and CEO of the ICA, declined an interview request citing it would be inappropriate to speak amid an ongoing process with the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
But he did note it is ACTRA telling members not to accept commercial work.
Beresford said the average annual income for an ACTRA member is less than $15,000.
Pay can vary, depending on the money spent by an employer and buying advertising.
“You might also make a commercial that doesn’t get used at all, and so the performer would only make a day rate,” he said. “Further, you might spend years auditioning and not get anything at all.”
Beresford said with pay the way it is now, actors of all stripes are still needing additional jobs, whether it be waiting tables, tending bar or in his case, working construction.
“They’ve continued having to do that, but they’ve just needed to add on a second side hustle,” he said. “Instead of having two jobs, actors now have three jobs, maybe four jobs. Instead of working an additional 40 hours a week, now you’re working an additional 50, 60, 70 hours a week.
“Pair that with the cost of living, from food to rent, it’s an untenable situation.”
He said government inaction has added to the frustration.
“The province of Ontario is still hiring, locking out engagers, spending millions of dollars, tax money on hiring non-union actors during a labour dispute,” Beresford said. “They don’t care.”
He pointed out the passing of anti-scab legislation last week in Ottawa, which prevents employers from hiring replacement workers during a strike.
But Beresford added this only applies to federally-regulated sectors.
“They protected themselves, and that’s great,” he said. “But we should all have that protection.”
Last month, ACTRA Toronto members were at Queen’s Park to put pressure on the Ford government to look into this.
Beresford said the fight will continue from ACTRA because if not, it’ll be catastrophic for future generations.
“It’ll be the total destruction of a cultural sector in this country if there is not an organized labour force,” he said. “Because, and I believe this very deeply, the labour force in any sector, it will be organized one way or the other. It will either be organized by a union or it will be organized by an employer.
“We need to choose. We have chosen to fight tooth and nail and beyond. There’s no stopping. I will see to it, and there’s a lot of people who share that sentiment.”
