IATSE 667, IATSE 514 AND AQTIS ANNOUNCE AN AGREEMENT IN PRINCIPLE TO REGROUP AND MERGE
Dear members,
IATSE 667, IATSE 514 AND AQTIS are pleased and proud to announce their agreement in principle to regroup and merge their union activities in order to create a larger and stronger organization to fight for film and television workers in Quebec. If the members agree to this agreement, the new organization will be called the Association québécoise des techniciens et techniciennes de l’image et du son, Local 514, (IATSE). It will become an even more important player whose impact will certainly be felt throughout our industry; it will represent more than 7,000 people and we will be the largest film and television union in Quebec.
The discussions that led to this agreement were conducted on an equal footing; the three organizations believe that this is a unique opportunity to achieve the following objectives, in a context of historical change:
1. To continue to improve the quality of services to members.
2. Continue to pursue our priorities on the issue of labour relations.
3. To respect the specificity of Quebec and that of the various groups of technicians.
4. Work to increase domestic production budgets as well as the volume of foreign production in Québec.
Stages of consolidation :
For the moment, nothing changes in the activities of the three organizations. We will be holding information sessions in the coming weeks and members will be asked to vote at the general meetings of each organization. We will let you know the details in the next few days.
Quotes :
[Christian Lemay-V.P. Quebec IATSE 667]
“In an increasingly competitive society, the need to unite our union forces behind a common goal of improving our socio-economic conditions is essential! This merger and amalgamation project is an exceptional opportunity to achieve such an objective!”
[Daniel Matthews, President IATSE 514]
“Bringing our organizations together to have a unified strength and voice that gives us new and greater opportunities for growth and sustainment must be the catalyst for the change we have all envisioned for so long in Quebec. Growth equals strength! “
[Dominic Pilon, President AQTIS]
“My first objective with this grouping is that each of our members can develop and recognize themselves within a strong, dynamic organization that respects the different production realities.”
