EQUIFLASH [CHILD PERFORMERS' BILL PASSES THIRD READING - ONTARIO]

[CAEA e-drive]

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PERFORMER UNIONS CHEER AS CHILD PERFORMERS' BILL PASSES THIRD READING 
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Canadian Actors' Equity Association (Equity) & ACTRA Toronto cheered today as the bill to protect child performers passed Third Reading in the Ontario Legislature and awaits Royal Assent.

It's been a long road for "the little bill that could." Since 2005, ACTRA Toronto and Equity have championed legislation to protect children employed in the entertainment industry sometimes from infancy. Child performers who are members of ACTRA and Equity are fortunate to be protected by their collective agreements but children working in unregulated non-union workplaces urgently needed protection. In 2014, MPP Paul Miller introduced Bill 17, Protecting Child Performers Act. Young and former child performers spoke to the need for the bill, helping all parties understand the risks behind the glamour. After the bill receives Royal Assent, industry partners will work together on implementation of the new law.

"It is a testament to the tenacious advocacy of ACTRA Toronto, Canadian Actors' Equity Association and all the MPPs who've publicly declared their support that the bill cleared this critical final hurdle today," said David Sparrow, President of ACTRA Toronto.

Former child performer and Equity's Executive Director Arden R. Ryshpan said: "On behalf of all of Ontario's child performers and their parents, we appreciate the support this bill has received from all three political parties. Ensuring appropriate terms and conditions for children in our industry has been the focus of much work over the last few years. We are very pleased to finally see this bill move one step closer to implementation."

ACTRA's Child Advocate Theresa Tova was on hand to savour the moment. Together with fellow performers Shirley Douglas, Sarah Polley and Tabby Johnson, Tova has been instrumental in bargaining and crafting the minors' provisions in ACTRA's Independent Production Agreement upon which the bill's recorded media provisions are based.

"It can be difficult for people who don't work in the industry to understand that what children do on film sets can be stressful, dangerous, and require very long days of physical labour," said Sarah Polley, ACTRA member since the age of seven. "Child performers rely on adults to be vigilant about their protection. As a result of this bill, children working in the entertainment industry will be a little bit safer."

Canadian Actors' Equity Association (Equity) is the voice of professional artists working in live performance in English Canada. It is a national artists' association representing almost 6,000 performers, directors, choreographers, fight directors and stage managers working in theatre, opera and dance from coast to coast.

ACTRA Toronto is the largest organization within ACTRA, representing more than 15,000 of Canada's 22,000 professional performers working in the English-language recorded media in Canada. As an advocate for Canadian culture since 1943, ACTRA is a member-driven union that continues to secure rights and respect for the work of professional performers.
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