Transcon being pressed by industry reps to change proposed freelance contract

The contentious new "master" agreement that Transcontinental Media is attempting to force all freelance writers to sign has resulted in a meeting with Transcon senior executives. While the meeting itself did not resolve the issue, it may eventually lead to a reconsideration or renegotiation of the terms of the agreement.

Derek Finkle of the Canadian Writers Group, David Johnston, the executive director of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) and Derek's lawyer Iain McKinnon, met on July 16th with senior executives at Transcontinental Media to express the writing communities concerns and dismay regarding their new contract.

According to a bulletin sent to PWAC members:

The Transcontinental representatives asserted that the permanence of the agreement and the granting of copyright, albeit non-exclusive, would not have any impact on a writer's ability to earn a living. We, along with our legal representative, expressed strong disagreement. The Transcon VPs suggested this was an issue to be raised with their lawyers in Montreal. Derek and I, in consultation with Iain McKinnon and Michael Levine of Goodmans LP and Westwood Creative Artists will be attempting to renegotiate the terms of the agreement next week.

PWAC and Finkle's agency, the Canadian Writers Group, have gathered the support of the following agencies and organizations to encourage their writers not to sign Transcontinental's Master Agreement:

• Canadian Freelance Union (CFU)
• The Cooke Agency
• Federation of BC Writers
• Quebec Writers Federation
• Saskatchewan Writers Guild
• Westwood Creative Artists
• Writers Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador
• Writers Federation of New Brunswick
• Writers Federation of Nova Scotia
• Writers Union of Canada

Related posts:

• Freelancers dismayed by Transcon's new "take it or leave it" contract