EQUIFLASH [PROTECTING CHILD PERFORMERS ACT GETS ROYAL ASSENT - ONTARIO]

[CAEA e-drive]

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PROTECTING CHILD PERFORMERS ACT GETS ROYAL ASSENT - ONTARIO
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Ontario's Protecting Child Performers Act received Royal Assent today.
ACTRA Toronto and Canadian Actors' Equity Association (Equity) were
consulted on the legislation first presented as a private member's bill
by M.P.P. Paul Miller. The legislation covers both the live and the
recorded entertainment industries and contains provisions to protect a
portion of minors' income, ensure their education is not compromised,
guarantees parental supervision, age-appropriate hours of work and
breaks, and health and safety measures. 

Under the terms of the Act, the law comes into effect on February 5,
2016.

"Reasonable work hours, tutoring and income protection for child actors
has been a priority for ACTRA for over 20 years, led by Shirley Douglas,
Sarah Polley and our child advocates, Theresa Tova and Tabby Johnson,"
said David Sparrow, President of ACTRA Toronto. 

"Unlike other industries where children are prohibited from working
until they're at least 14 years old, the entertainment industry
regularly engages children on stage and screen." said Arden R. Ryshpan,
Equity Executive Director. "We thank Ontario legislators for enacting a
law to specifically protect children working without the benefit of
collective agreement protections."

"This law will bring to all children in the business the kind of
protections ACTRA and Equity negotiate in their agreements," said
Theresa Tova, ACTRA's Child Advocate. 

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.

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.

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Canadian Actors' Equity Association
44 Victoria St., 12th floor
Toronto, ON M5C 3C4
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