From Unifor:
Canadians facing an unprecedented threat to our cultural and political sovereignty. U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent threat to impose a 100% tariff on foreign-made movies is just the latest provocation, and his administration has also raised concerns regarding the Digital Services Tax (DST) and some new obligations arising from the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act.
The ongoing trade war with the United States has raised important questions about Canada’s cultural, political, and economic independence. Trump’s threats put at risk tens of thousands of good-paying jobs in the media sector, along with billions of dollars of annual economic output and government tax revenues. But the current crisis is about more than just jobs and GDP.
Access to high quality local news has never been more important, and we are learning all too well that local news plays a critical role in a healthy and vibrant democracy.
This is a critical time to be discussing the role of journalism in a healthy democracy, as well as the importance of local news, journalism, and cultural creation in general as means of exploring and communicating the Canadian experience.
Beyond the economic impacts of the media sector, and the vital role the sector plays in a healthy democracy, the current trade war also threatens Canada’s unique heritage and history regarding Anglo-Canadian, Franco-Canadian, Quebecois, Indigenous and immigrant languages and cultures. A healthy and thriving media sector allows Canadians to stay informed, share our stories, express ourselves in all languages, and come to a better understanding of the world around us.
To be perfectly clear, Canadians have the undisputable right to establish our own laws, regulations, and policies regarding the Canadian media sector. Unifor affirms that the language rights, cultural sovereignty, and democratic choices of a people cannot be subject to the rules of international trade.
Supporting Canada’s World-Class Film and TV Productions
Canada’s TV and film production sector is truly world class. Foreign producers, including major U.S. studios and streamers, have long chosen to work in Canada not only for the excellent value proposition thanks to strategic supports and investments from supportive governments, but also for our production infrastructure including our experienced, professional, and highly skilled media workforce.
President Trump’s recent threat to impose a 100% tariff on foreign-made movies will generate unnecessary costs for American TV and film producers – costs that will likely be passed along to American consumers. Further, it’s still not clear how those tariffs would be imposed or if they’re even legal.
Canadian crews and creative professionals have collaborated with international partners to produce acclaimed content such as Murdoch Mysteries, Schitt’s Creek, Allegiance, Murder In A Small Town, Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent, Wild Cards, and many others. Canada remains a dependable and stable location for media investment, and we will continue to welcome productions from around the world.
Now, more than ever, we need all levels of government to work to ensure that Canada’s domestic production industry is well supported, well-funded, and able to continue to thrive during these times. This includes the newly elected Federal government carrying through with their election promise of ensuring a well-funded national broadcaster in the CBC, so it can tell Canadian stories and continue to employ thousands of Canadian technicians, cast, and other crew.
Fighting for Local News
Local news holds power to account, strengthens democracy, and builds community, and it has never been more important.
The creation of locally relevant programming, including local news, has always been a key component of Canadian broadcast policy. The revenue and viewership generated through the distribution of foreign (mostly American) broadcast content, was used by Canadian broadcasters to fund local programming and local news. This cross-support model was the main funding vehicle for local news for decades. However, this model has been permanently disrupted by new technology, regulatory failure, and the resulting shift in consumer habits.
Foreign digital streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon have, until recently, been given a “free pass” in terms of regulatory guidelines and funding obligations. Digital streamers have been allowed to sell their product directly to the Canadian consumer, circumventing the regulations, funding obligations and other requirements that Canadian broadcasters have abided by for decades.
This regulatory imbalance – the uneven playing field between conventional Canadian broadcasters and foreign digital streaming giants – has been largely responsible for the collapse of the financial model that supported broadcast television for decades. This traditional financial model also supported the creation of local programming and local news.
The Digital Services Tax (DST), the Online Streaming Act, and the Online News Act represent important steps forward, by requiring foreign digital streaming giants to pay their fair share into the Canadian media ecosystem. New revenue streams arising from these measures will create a more stable and sustainable funding model for the creation of local programming and especially local news.
Unifor will continue to support and advocate for these important measures, and we reject any attempt by the Trump administration to undermine our right to set our own media policies.
Unifor represents 10,000 media workers in Canada, who perform a diverse range of jobs, including: journalists, printers, advertising representatives, newspaper carriers, video editors, camera operators, technicians, writers, producers, editorial researchers, maintenance workers, on-air talent, stage and film crewmembers, production assistants, website developers, editors and publishers.
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