| ACTRA in Alberta enters into mediation
Alberta actors who are members of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) are still at work this week despite a nationwide labour dispute.
On January 8, ACTRA members in Ontario, Saskatchewan and Manitoba formally went on strike after ACTRA and producers’ associations failed to reach a new collective labour agreement. However, as of press time there had been no picket lines or labour disruptions because ACTRA signed agreements, which include five per cent wage increases, with producers for projects already underway. Alberta labour laws require ACTRA to enter into mediation, which began on January 9 and could take as long as 28 days, says Jennifer Blaney, representative for the Calgary and Edmonton branches of ACTRA. She says Alberta productions will continue to be governed by the expired collective agreement until mediation concludes.
ACTRA and producers’ associations are at loggerheads over wage increases and pay for acting work shown on the Internet, cellphones and other new media.
Blaney says the average Alberta ACTRA member makes $8,000 per year, which is much less than the national average of $15,000 per year. She also points out that Canadian actors make, on average, 32 per cent less than actors in the U.S.
Mission institution closes
Instant Video, an independent video store that’s been a Mission institution for over 20 years, is closing its doors permanently after being evicted from its building at 1907 4 St. S.W. by the 2020 Group, which plans to redevelop the bulding.
The tiny video store also sells art produced by local, amateur artists.
Owner Chengis Javeri says the company initially told him he’d have the option of paying double the rent or buying the space, but right before Christmas he received an eviction notice. Instant Video will be no more as of January 30 because Javeri says he can’t afford any other space in the neighbourhood.
"It’s not a kick below the belt. It’s a kick in the stomach," he says. "We are done. We’re going under. It’s the absolute end."
Javeri says he’s particularly sad he won’t be able to sell art anymore. He says some amateur artists who had their art displayed in the store went on to have shows in galleries and it helped boost their confidence.
He says customers have been bringing in baking and many are upset that the store will soon be gone.
"I can’t believe how many wet eyes I’ve seen in the last week. All I’ve been doing is apologizing to people," he says.
Javeri and his father, who passed away a few years ago, but who originally owned the store, took customer service to a new level. Javeri says they knew 99 per cent of their customers names. They would also let people pay for videos days after they rented them and they once looked after a customer’s cat for 30 days.
He jokes that he’s planning to poll customers on what he should do after he’s unemployed and as long as it "doesn’t injure my person" he’ll give it a shot. |
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