Strike Assistance Information

STRIKE ASSISTANCE FOR LOCAL CREW  

• Visit your union’s website to see what support, training and events they have organized. 
• Ask your union to develop training sessions in your region to help the community build their skills and be ready for work, whether it be Production Assistant training or workshops for specific skill sets (carpentry, camera operator, etc). Courses can be one-offs, or regular sessions, or multi day (or multi-weekend) intensives focused on workforce development. 
• Reach out to your unions to organize some open houses/townhalls to give you an opportunity to network, meet each other, share your concerns and experiences at this challenging time. 
• If you are not yet a member of a union or guild, a number of motion picture organizations, informal filmmaking groups and filmmaking societies may have events and training to take advantage of.
• Facebook groups can be a popular way for creatives to meet each other; check out a listing here on the Creative Pathways™ to find social media resources.    
• Access a list of industry organizations here in the Creative BC Knowledge Hub.  
• Discover film adjacent or work opportunities where you can apply your transferrable skills.  Visit WorkBC’s job board and Creative Pathways’ Opportunities to access jobs, events, and more. 
• Suggest with your unions that maybe there could be some fundraising opportunities to help those crew members that are struggling. 
• Take courses for low cost or free while you’re waiting to get back to work: 
  • Entertainment Partners EP Academy: Quick Start – Free Online Courses and Training 
  • Winston | Baker: Lowcost viewings of finance forums 
  • Reel Green™ Sustainability Training: Free Training – Creative BC 
  • LinkedIn Learning: Local libraries across BC may offer free access to Linkedin Learning’s catalogue. 
  • StrongerBC: Empowers British Columbians to shape their own future with a lifetime grant covering up to $3,500 for eligible short-term skills training at public post-secondary institutions. 

INDUSTRY SUPPORT PAGES  + OTHER RESOURCES

• Women in Film Support Page 
• Calltime Mental Health 
• DGC Benefits (login required) 
• Member and Family Assistance Plan (login required) 
• Vancouver Rent Bank 
• Government Assistance – EI, Welfare etc. use the Government of Canada’s  
• Benefits Finder to see which benefits and services you may be eligible to receive. 
• Greater Vancouver Food Bank 
• Credit Counselling Society
• Financial Assistance (iatse.com)  

FUNDS  

All of the B.C. labour organizations pay into the AFC Emergency Aid Strikes. Organization members are eligible to apply for relief funds and the individual unions have the information on their website and in all of their newsletters and communications.  

AFC’s Condensed, Strike-Specific Emergency Financial Aid Application 

The AFC is short-term, charitable emergency financial assistance for essential household bills and costs that cannot otherwise be paid. This assistance is based on immediate financial need and does not need to be paid back. Right now, The AFC is focusing on making sure that people can meet their expenses for the next 4-8 weeks and considers requests for one month at a time. The AFC does not provide income replacement or ongoing assistance.  

To receive financial assistance, you need to:  

• Be professionally eligible: 
  
• Are working age and have earned the majority of your income from entertainment industry work in the period from 2019 until present OR
  
• Are over 65 and have earned the majority of your income from the industry over your working life;  
• Demonstrate urgent financial need (have less than 8 weeks living expenses in the bank);  
• Make all reasonable efforts to support yourself through other resources;  
• Provide the required information and documents. 

For more information, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section on the EFA website at afchelps.ca/get-help.
For the condensed, strike-specific Emergency Financial Aid application form, go to afchelps.ca/strike. 

ALTERNATIVE JOB OPPORTUNITIES

Universal Traffic Systems 

Universal Traffic Systems is hiring temporary traffic control people. The job posting can be found here. Please email resumes to Courtney Miller directly at cmiller@theuniversalgroup.ca. 

Faber Connect 

Faber Connect is a company that dispatches skilled labour to the construction industry. 

• This is an app-based system that connects labour to jobsites 
• The member will make a profile and select their skillset and upload their tickets (key). 
• Those tickets get confirmed and their profile is then available for viewing from the construction companies 
• They get paid weekly through the app/company 
• Each worker is considered an independent contractor and will get their appropriate tax documentation at the end of the year. 
• In particular anyone with a ticket is in high demand – Traffic control certificates, First Aid Certificates, lift tickets, Red seal, etc.

Learn more and get started at faberconnect.com.