The membership of the Professional Writers Association of Canada has resoundingly voted to amalgamate with the independent membership of the Canadian Media Guild Freelance Branch to form the Canadian Freelance Guild.
This new association, totalling close to 400 members, will be founded within CWA Canada, the oldest and only all-media union in Canada.
“I’m very grateful to see that we had an excellent turnout for this special vote. Voting was represented equally by and new and seasoned members alike, who realized that we have made the right decision to move PWAC forward into its next realm of existence,” said Doreen Pendgracs, president of PWAC.
Don Genova, president of the independent membership of CMG Freelance, said, “We’ve worked to bring these like-minded associations together for the past three years and I’m sure this amalgamation will bring a greater voice to freelancers in Canada as we battle falling rates and unfair contracts for members who provide their clients high-quality contributions in all forms of today’s varied media.”
When officially constituted in April of this year, members of the Canadian Freelance Guild will include professional writers, photographers, podcasters, videographers, graphic designers, and more. Media workers who freelance at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation will continue to be represented by the Canadian Media Guild, a local of CWA Canada.
Pendgracs and Genova said their main goals are to provide a higher level of professional development, networking, advocacy, and representation for members when negotiating and enforcing contracts with employers.
Representatives of CMG Freelance and PWAC will meet next month in Toronto to begin the work of creating a governance structure, merging the memberships, and amalgamating their various databases and digital assets.
In the meantime, current members of both associations will continue to be represented by their respective executives and administration. For questions about the new association please contact Don or Doreen directly.
Don Genova
President, CMG Freelance freelance@cmg.ca
778-991-4439 (Pacific Time)
