Canadian performers guild ACTRA has set a strike deadline of 12:01am on Jan 8 if ongoing 'last-ditch' talks break down.

In a statement, ACTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Stephen Waddell said: 'ACTRA wants to avoid a strike. We're going to try hard this week to negotiate a new agreement. But the producers' associations must not underestimate our determination to ensure that it is a fair agreement.'

One of the points of contention is the issue of web-rights: producers are unwilling to pay performers residuals for web usage given the lack of a compelling revenue model, while ACTRA members are unwilling to cede their rights should such a model be found.

The guild said it received a 97.6% strike mandate from its membership in December. If the talks fail, ACTRA will take strike action against producers in most of the country except the province of British Columbia. Producers who have signed continuation letters with ACTRA will not be affected.'

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