Ottawa, Ontario – The I.A.T.S.E. is pleased to report that a first agreement has been reached between I.A.T.S.E. Local 471 and the Great Canadian Theatre Company (the “GCTC”). Local 471 organized the GCTC in the spring of 2003 when it won a representation vote before the Ontario Labour Relations Board.
The GCTC was founded in 1975 by professors and students at Ottawa’s Carleton University. For several years, the GCTC was among a handful of pioneering professional theatre companies that nurtured Canadian plays and playwrights onto the international stage. The GCTC has undergone much transition, beginning as an entirely voluntary operation and continuing to evolve as a professional theatre company that has won international recognition since moving into its permanent home in 1982.
The agreement includes a 50% increase in pay rates and institutes an overtime pay structure. The agreement also provides for health and pension benefits.