Thank you.
I was going to allow the previous speaker.... He was applauding the compliments of the IA, and I think we should allow that.
Thank you for the time to be here today. I'm here on behalf of the IATSE, which is the largest union in the entertainment industry, representing over 160,000 members, 30,000 of which are creative sector workers in Canada.
The IA members are the people working behind the scenes to bring you entertainment, and because our work is performed backstage, most people don’t realize that our skilled technicians and artisans make up the largest segment of creative workers.
Our members include aerial riggers, lighting board programmers, wig builders, scenic artists and muralists, spotlight operators, dressers, costume builders, scenic artists and sound board operators.
Throughout the pandemic, we partnered with our friends from Canadian Actors’ Equity, the Canadian Federation of Musicians and the Associated Designers of Canada to form the Creative Industries Coalition, together representing over 50,000 arts workers.
As you've heard, the live performance industry was one of the hardest hit with the pandemic, and we shut down immediately. Unfortunately, our prediction that we would be one of the last to reopen has proven to be accurate.
We are very appreciative of the government support we’ve received. The CRB, the CERB and now the Canada worker lockdown benefit have been a lifesaver for many entertainment workers, as the vast majority were not eligible for other government supports.
As a coalition, we have met regularly with the former and current Minister of Heritage, officials from Heritage and Finance, and MPs and critics from all parties. We appreciate the time that federal officials have spent with us to address the concerns of the industry.
Supports for the industry’s return must be two-pronged both for workers and for venues/producers. You have been provided with documents detailing our suggestions, which I will briefly summarize.
On support for workers, we welcome the newly announced Canada performing arts workers resilience fund, but we must be clear: This is an emergency relief fund, not income support, and live performance workers will be the last to be able to get back to work. We strongly recommend an income support benefit for live performance workers structured similarly to the CRB or the CERB.
The Canada worker lockdown benefit needs to be tweaked in a few ways. First, the industry will not be up and running by February 12, the date that the expanded lockdown benefit is set to terminate, which will cause workers to leave the industry. The expanded eligibility must be extended beyond February 12 to a period of time when the industry is at least approaching normal.
Workers who were out of work because capacity limits were introduced do not qualify for the lockdown benefit. Of those lucky enough to be working before capacity limits were introduced, many largely subsisted on CERB throughout 2020, so demonstrating a 50% drop from their 2020 income can be problematic. Live performance workers should qualify regardless of work status immediately prior to capacity limits. Further, if applicants for the expanded eligibility must demonstrate a 50% decrease in average weekly income to be eligible, it should be based on their 2019 income and not their 2020 income.
Saskatchewan workers are not able to access support because that provincial government has not instituted capacity limits, but capacity limits are not the only COVID inhibitor to live production. These workers are still suffering like their counterparts in other provinces and should be eligible for lockdown benefits.
All theatres/producers are in crisis, regardless of not-for-profit or commercial status. As in other countries, we strongly recommend that all be included in assistance programs.
The wage subsidy programs only allow employers to receive subsidies for employees, which does not contemplate that the majority of their prepandemic payroll is for gig workers who are not eligible. Not including these workers has acted as a disincentive for producers to mount shows. If you’re a producer and you’re unsure whether capacity limits will be reintroduced or unsure if audiences feel confident enough to return, the safe bet is to keep your doors closed and not take on more risk. Expanding the wage subsidy to include any worker who receives a T4 or a T4A would both incentivize the industry to get back to work while underwriting risk.
Mounting a show is typically a months-long process and is risky at the best of times. We need to reduce these risks There are two ways. One is a revenue top-up subsidy, which we understand is being discussed, and also a government-funded insurance for COVID closures and postponements, similar to what was introduced for the domestic film industry and was successfully implemented in the U.K. and Australia.
Long-term solutions must include a live production tax credit. We've seen the benefits to the film and television industry in this country.
The need for support is real, and at the end of the day we have to ask ourselves: Do we want a thriving cultural industry in this country? That answer is easy. Of course we do.