The shadow of union negotiations between producers and technicians loomed over the Gémeaux awards ceremony on Sunday. Several winners took the opportunity to emphatically thank the technicians, who could trigger a labor dispute likely to paralyze the television industry when their collective agreement expires in less than two months.
At the evening gala, Suzanne Clément opened her thanks by saluting the “so-called technical, but tremendously creative” STAT team. “Thank you, gang,” the Gemini winner for best leading role (daily) said into the microphone. You are a great source of support for us, in addition to having incredible talent and being present every day with your enthusiasm. »
Later, Catherine Trudeau, winner of the award for best leading role (annual drama series), spoke directly to the Perfect Moments technicians. “I’m giving you a big, big hug,” she said. You created a playground with a lot of kindness where I was able to flourish. »
Producer Sophie Deschênes went even further by naming each member of the technical team of the financial thriller Before the Crash, crowned best drama series. Photo direction, artistic direction, costumes, hairstyles, makeup, editing, original music: the president of Productions Sovimage listed all the positions.
“In life, you are nothing if you are not well supported,” explains Sophie Deschênes in an interview the day after the event. Television is teamwork. And it’s my way of highlighting all these people. »
This influx of recognition has not gone unnoticed by the Quebec technicians’ union, AQTIS 514 IATSE, which has just started talks with the Association québécoise de la production media (AQPM). Reached by telephone the day after the event, the president of AQTIS 514 IATSE, Christian Lemay, admitted that he was “happy for all the technicians” each time a winner praised their dedication.
“It’s nice that we told them we appreciated their efforts. I just wonder if there wasn’t a little feeling of guilt for having waited so long. Because the people in the shadows, the technicians, those who put the Quebec star system into images and sound, they are part of the equation. And unfortunately, this equation has deteriorated over the years. »
The speeches delivered to the Gémeaux not only highlighted the work of the technicians, they also exposed the major difficulties that threaten the survival of the Quebec television (and film) industry. Producer of Indéfendable and Alertes, two award-winning series, Charles Lafortune even mentioned the Titanic to describe the current situation. Sophie Deschênes also used a marine metaphor, speaking of an environment “in the process of sinking”.
“The audiovisual industry is underfunded,” comments the businesswoman. When I look at the issues we are currently experiencing, it is all well and good to celebrate television, but we must find solutions. We can’t bury our heads in the sand and pretend everything is okay. »
The portrait drawn by the AQPM is dark. Interest rates and inflation have caused television production costs to soar over the past 12 months. Financial assistance programs introduced during the pandemic ended in the spring, and several broadcasters are experiencing significant drops in advertising revenue, a decline which is leading to a slowdown in series orders.
“I would say that we are on the brink of the abyss,” underlines the president and CEO of the AQPM, Hélène Messier. We are in a very precarious situation. And we don’t see any improvement in the short term. »
“The day there is going to be a reduction in the number of television shows because it costs too much, what are we going to put on the air? Foreign shows, adds Sophie Deschênes. And when we put foreign shows on the air, our cultural identity disappears. It’s fewer jobs for everyone: technicians, actors…”
Did the alarming speeches heard at Gémeaux come from an AQPM instruction intended to discourage technicians from asking for more? “Not at all,” replies Hélène Messier. These are personal initiatives of the producers. And this is an observation that we made well before starting negotiations. »
On the air on Sunday, Sophie Deschênes advocated “industrial solidarity”. This call obviously referred to the negotiations between the AQPM and the AQTIS 514 IATSE, but also between the AQPM and the Union of Artists. “Collective agreement negotiations will affect future budgets, that’s for sure,” says Sophie Deschênes. Everyone wants a piece of the pie. But at some point you have to sit down and work together. Because otherwise, we’re all shooting ourselves in the foot. »
At AQTIS 514 IATSE, we say we are “in solidarity with the challenges of the industry”. But this solidarity has its limits, and Christian Lemay refuses that it be “to the detriment” of the members of the technicians’ union. “If this “solidarity” means saying yes to employers’ demands, and accepting all their no’s, that’s not an option. In this case, we could lack a little solidarity…”
“For technicians, their working conditions haven’t improved for years,” continues Christian Lemay. At some point, producers will have to take care of their workforce. »
If Sophie Deschênes admits to being worried about the progress of the talks, Hélène Messier is reassuring. Negotiations were in full swing on Monday, a week after officially beginning. “The parties are at the table,” says the CEO of the AQPM. The dialogue is good. »
