Hello Everyone!

2026 has been a whirlwind, but in the best of ways!  At the top of the highlights list is the National Council Meeting which I attended in Burlington, Ontario from February 3-6, 2026.

I want to spend this President’s Message sharing about National Council. However, to begin, I really want to highlight something that has been resonating with me more and more with each passing day.

Not only are we members of the greatest union on the planet, but we, as members, are bound by the deeply entrenched words of our Equality Statement, which we read at the beginning of all Council Meetings and membership events:

Union solidarity is based on the principle that all union members are equal. Mutual respect, cooperation and understanding are our goals. We embrace an open and inclusive environment and encourage respectful behaviour that affirms the dignity of all individuals.

We neither condone nor tolerate behaviour that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment.

Discriminatory speech or conduct, based on gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, disability, age, class, language, religion, ethnic origin, membership, region or work category, or family status hurts and divides us.

Discrimination can take the form of harassment, defined as using real or perceived power to abuse, devalue, or humiliate.

Discrimination and harassment weaken our solidarity, reducing our capacity to work together on shared concerns, such as decent wages, safe working conditions, and justice for all.

ACTRA activities are to be harassment-free zones where our members’ dignity and equality are respected.

I felt it important to touch on this.  We are just coming out of Black History Month, embarking upon Women’s History Month, and Pride Month is just around the corner.  The journey of Reconciliation is also re-shaping Canada, through acknowledgement of the harms and mistakes of the past and present, and meaningful change that is long overdue.  

My reflection on our Equality Statement should be seen as a reminder that we are only as strong as our members, and more importantly, our members are only as strong as the mutual respect, spirit of understanding, and commitment to dignity that we not only deserve, but also have a duty to embrace and demonstrate to others.

Whether it be on a film set, while working on a MIP, attending a meeting, or even interacting one-on-one with ACTRA Manitoba staff or your colleagues, there is no place in ACTRA, or in the world, for behaviour that seeks to use perceived power, intimidation, humiliation, or devaluation of someone’s self-worth to make a point. 

We are better than that.  Anything less than mutual respect and cooperation will not be tolerated by ACTRA Manitoba. 

I want everyone reading this to know that if you are ever subject to conduct that violates the principles of Equality by which we as members are bound, you may reach out confidentially to myself at kbomback@actra.ca or Rea Kavanagh, our Branch Rep at rkavanagh@actra.ca .  We will listen and address your concerns.  If we learn of members or ACTRA MB staff being subjected to such behaviours, we have disciplinary measures in place to address the persons concerned, and we will use them. 

You deserve to be safe.  You deserve respect.  Your opinions matter.  You have value.  You are seen.

AND NOW ON TO THE NATIONAL MEETING…

Regional Caucus

Upon my arrival I went straight into a 7:30 pm meeting with the Regional Caucus.  The Regional Branches are basically any Branches other than Toronto, B.C. and Montreal.  They are the smaller branches that have unique realities and challenges, by comparison to the larger ones.  It is chaired by Blair Young (ACTRA AB President), and our Regional Representative, Tina Alford, attends. 

Regional Caucus is an opportunity for the Regional Branch National Councillors to speak one on one with National’s Executive Director (Marie Kelly) and President (Eleanor Noble).

I saw this as an opportunity to establish that Manitoba is a force in the Union.  That our voices matter.  I went in with two very specific objectives for this National Meeting:

1. National Training Endeavours
2. Enhanced presence for Equity Deserving Committees at the National Table

I raised the long overdue return of the National Online Training Portal.  This started in motion what hopefully will be a revolutionizing of training on a National Level.  It was received with enthusiasm, and with the blessing of Marie and Eleanor, I have a meeting scheduled with Tina and Rea Kavanagh – our Branch Rep – to put this into motion, and to further develop a long-term National Strategy on Training.

Also at the Regional Meeting, I started a running theme that would play out throughout the course of my presence at National.  National already has a strong and thriving commitment to diversity, and has several National Committees that give voices to and advocates for equity-deserving groups in ACTRA’s membership.  In my view though, there is always work to be done. 

Currently, the National By-Laws contemplate that Branches, rather than National are to fund the attendance of Committee chairs at National Council Meetings. Currently, the National Equity Deserving Committees have a seat at the National Table, but no vote. 

I specifically raised questions about the By-Law requiring local branches to fund the attendance of the Chairs at National Council Meetings, emphasizing that each of those Committees represent matters of National importance, matters that are not unique to any specific Branch.  I started a dialogue about how representation of these Committees at the National Table can be strengthened and bolstered.  This laid the groundwork for the days that were to come.

National Council Meeting February 5-6, 2026

The Meeting itself was a tremendous opportunity to network and build alliances on initiatives. 

The Executive reported that there is a lot of ongoing Collective Bargaining and other negotiations, including about the Ubisoft Videogame Agreement, CBC Negotiations, Voice Directors, the Independent Production Agreement (IPA), Appendix 31 – Committee of Enquiry into Casting Directors and Casting Process, Appendix 53 – Committee on Indigenous Productions, Appendix 50 – Accessible Sets Committee, and the National Commercial Agreement (NCA).

Round Table Update: National Councillors provided updates on the wins and challenges for their branches. Universal concerns across the country include member engagement and hiring from out of town.  Just as we are familiar with Toronto/Vancouver filling roles in Manitoba, what Toronto and BC often find is that the roles in their jurisdictions often end up with folks from NYC and LA.

On behalf of Manitoba, I spoke about the incredible diversity of voices that we share on our new Council.  I spoke about the new composition and scope of our committees, that work in our industry is high for a 2^nd year in a row, and that we received lots of submissions for MIPs this year.  I also shared that there is Community-wide discussion and elevation of Indigenous Production – that being a defining segment of Manitoba Production.

For challenges, I focused on the core of achieving more member engagement.  I spoke about opportunities for enhanced engagement being rooted in training, and again, raised the importance of a National Training Scheme.  Following this, there was additional outreach to me from other National Councillors who share these goals and who hope to work together in developing and making this National Strategy come to fruition.

Equity-Deserving Committees

We heard presentations from the newly acclaimed chairs of the equity-deserving Committees.  Mariah Inger (Montreal) is chairing the DEIB Committee, Jen Viens (Montreal) is chairing the Women’s Committee, and Madelaine Rose (Toronto) is chairing the Progress Pride Committee.  There was also some very exciting news that ACTRA MB member Marsha Knight is the inaugural Chair of the ACTRA National Indigenous Performers Committee.

It was at this time that I gave notice of a motion that I will be bringing in June 2026 at our next in-person meeting.  In June 2026, I intend to make a motion that, in consultation with ACTRA National’s Constitution Committee, a vote at the National Table be established for the Chairs of the Equity-Deserving Committees.

In closing, it was an eye-opening, and inspiring experience.  I am grateful for the opportunity to be able to sit at the National Table and be a part of entrenching Manitoba in a place of influence and respect on the national scale.

Thank you for having faith in me to do this meaningful work.

Warm regards,

Kalyn Bomback
President and National Councillor
ACTRA Manitoba