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Unions in BC’s Film Industry

Those wanting to work in the BC film industry, either as crew members or performers, eventually become familiar with organized labor. Skilled film-industry workers, in almost every area of production, belong to one of several unions. Obtaining membership is often the biggest step in becoming recognized as an eligible candidate for various projects.

These are only a few of the labor unions directly involved in BC film and television.

DGC
The Directors Guild of Canada represents key creative and logistical personnel in the film and television industry. Formed in 1962 to represent Canadian film directors, the DGC now has more than 2,700 members in 29 different job categories. Members work in areas from location production assistants to 1st assistant directors. The DGC is considered one of the most difficult unions in which to obtain full membership.

ACTRA: Union of BC Performers
As BC’s local of The Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists, the UBCP represents film and television performers working as actors, extras, stand-ins and stunt-performers. Most of these workers are independently contracted (many on a daily basis) and are represented by separate talent agents. The UBCP, while providing some employment resources, acts mainly as a bargaining agent and provider of employment benefits.

IATSE (Local 891)
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees represents the widest scope of skilled film workers in the BC motion picture industry. On set, members work as grips, lighting technicians, set decorators and sound editors. IATSE (pronounced eye-AT’-see) members are found in the hair/makeup, wardrobe, special effects and props departments. In the production office, members work in areas such as accounting and publicity.

ACFC
As a union rival of IATSE, The Association of Canadian Film Craftspeople has been struggling to stay independent.In 1998, ACFC film technicians in Toronto voted to wind down operations and merge with IATSE-873. ACFC continues to operate on a number of smaller budget film and television productions in BC. However, IATSE claims their rival union will exist only as a distant memory in the near future.

Teamsters International Union (Local 155)
With members in the transportation department, Teamsters can be found providing services from security to coordinating transportation. Those who drive the large Honeywagons and equipment trucks are often the first people to arrive on set, long before "crew call." They are also among the last to leave. By agreement, Teamsters are the first members to be fed lunch on any given shoot.