Why was there a call out for non-union workers for an Ontario government ad? ACTRA actors want to know

Voice actor Kate Ziegler felt "so wildly let down" after seeing call-outs for non-union actors to work in advertising spots for Ontario's Ministry of Labour.

In May, Ziegler, who's based in Hamilton, was among a group of commercial actors who rallied at Queen's Park to call on the government to help end a labour dispute that began over 2½ years ago.

Members of the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA) say the dispute has prevented them from working commercial acting jobs, causing financial hardship for many, including Ziegler.

The ACTRA Toronto vice-president said that before the dispute, she was the voice of Lotto 649 commercials. She also recently bought a home in the Dundas area. Now, Ziegler said, she's packing up her house to sell it in order to get by. 

"In the meantime, the government has done nothing to help us."

What's more, she said, two call-outs for non-union actors to submit self-tapes to a casting company working for the government — CBC Hamilton viewed a screenshot of one of them — actively hurt the union's cause and called into question a promise made by the labour minister.

Last week, CBC Hamilton emailed the Ministry of Labour Immigration, Training and Skills Development and asked officials to explain the job posting, and clarify whether the ministry hires actors based on union affiliation. They did not respond before publication.

In response to reporting from Politics Today last month, Labour Minister David Piccini's director of communications, Zoë Knowles, posted on social media site X, formerly Twitter, saying "The Ministry did not issue this casting call. This was posted by a casting agency without the government's awareness or approval."

Ziegler said she's skeptical because, in her experience, "casting doesn't act alone" on projects.

Member of provincial parliament (MPP) Jamie West (Sudbury) shared a similar sentiment on X last month, saying "I'm calling BS." 

Labour dispute started in 2022

The core of the labour dispute is a disagreement over the roughly 60-year-old National Commercial Agreement (NCA) between ACTRA, the Institute of Canadian Agencies (ICA) and the Association of Canadian Advertisers (ACA), which represents marketers. Negotiations for an updated agreement between ICA and ACTRA members fell apart in 2022.

ACTRA — with about 30,000 English-speaking members — says the ICA proposed language weakened the agreement by allowing the agency to selectively opt in and out. The ICA, which represents advertising agencies serving major brands, says that in practice, ACTRA was allowing some work with parties outside the agreement, putting NCA signatories at a disadvantage. 

The parties also disagree on whether the NCA is a collective agreement. ACTRA says it is and has historically functioned as such. The ICA says it is a contract that has expired, while ACTRA says the ICA is conducting an unlawful lockout in an attempt to bust the union. 

After an ACTRA rally in May, West and MPP Jill Andrew (Toronto—St. Paul's) asked about the government's role in the dispute during the legislature's question period.

Both said some Ontario government agencies have been buying ads from the agencies that have been locking members out.

Piccini said he would call government agencies Destination Ontario, Metrolinx and the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to look into the matter.

"I recognize that government does have a role here," Piccini said.

Ziegler said Piccini told her the same thing directly, so seeing those call-outs for non-union actors "felt like a betrayal of that day," and left her wondering if Piccini made the calls at all.

CBC Hamilton asked the ministry if Piccini did call those agencies and what they discussed. They did not respond before publication. 

CBC Hamilton also called and emailed Kim Hurdon Casting, the company seemingly behind the job ads, to explain what happened. They also did not respond before publication. 

In an emailed statement, ACTRA Toronto said the two job ads "disappointed and disheartened" members.

"While both non-union breakdowns were later withdrawn, they have not yet been replaced by union breakdowns and clearly demonstrate the government of Ontario continues to use locking-out advertising agencies to produce commercials," the union said. 

They added that Ontarians may see this as "evidence that taxpayer dollars continue to be spent on government ads made by locking-out advertising agencies using performers who have no union protections."

Ziegler said she keeps fighting because she wants to ensure future actors can enjoy the job protections and benefits she once had under the ICA.

"I think the government needs to look at meaningfully creating an environment where jobs are protected," and the fastest and easiest way to do that is to protect unions, she said.

The provincial government often says it's "working for workers," she said. "Why am I any less a worker?" 

ACTRA continues to ask that the Ontario government stop using "locking-out" agencies, amend labour laws to make it clear performers and precarious workers have the same rights as other workers, and encourage the continuation of bargaining.