Canadian film and television workers are feeling the sting of twin strikes by Hollywood writers and actors.

Vancouver-based Derek Baskerville, who rents costumes mostly to U.S. film shoots, says he laid off a part-time worker last week and has scaled back the hours of other staff as work dried up.

Toronto agent Karin Martin says many of her clients havenB次元官网网址檛 worked since winter because U.S. studios anticipated job action and scaled back orders.

She represents production designers, cinematographers, line producers and others who work behind the scenes. She says many are now B次元官网网址渟cared and at risk.B次元官网网址�

The Writers Guild of America walked off the job May 2 and the performers union SAG-AFTRA began its strike last Friday.

Even though itB次元官网网址檚 a U.S. labour dispute, the strikes have touched U.S. films and series that shoot in Canada and employ tens of thousands of local crews and talent.

B次元官网网址淭hese are my family, all these people I represent and theyB次元官网网址檙e scared,B次元官网网址� says Martin.

B次元官网网址淓very day my calls arenB次元官网网址檛 dealing with producers trying to book people. My calls are dealing with my clients that I love and adore, who are scared and at risk. ItB次元官网网址檚 awful.B次元官网网址�

In Vancouver, Baskerville says he let one of his part-timers go because he couldnB次元官网网址檛 afford to pay them. HeB次元官网网址檚 reduced two other part-timers to one day a week, and two full-time workers are down to four days a week instead of five. One of them is on a six-hour day instead of eight.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been really bad for all of us gig economy workers for the last four years. And some people havenB次元官网网址檛 survived, what with COVID and now this,B次元官网网址� says Baskerville.

B次元官网网址淭his is B次元官网网址� even for me in a 40-year career B次元官网网址� this is quite an exception.B次元官网网址�

He says heB次元官网网址檚 lucky to have paid off his mortgage and have personal savings.

B次元官网网址淭hree of my colleagues are deferring their mortgage paymentsB次元官网网址�. And two of them have also talked to the city, deferring their property taxes for a year,B次元官网网址� says Baskerville.

B次元官网网址淥ne of my colleagues, she had to take her kids out of daycare and out of summer camp because she canB次元官网网址檛 afford it. ItB次元官网网址檚 summer. Kids want to go to camp. Not this year.B次元官网网址�

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