Urban Worker Project Skillshare in Vancouver March 1
Vancouver freelancers and independent creative workers, mark your calendars for an Urban Worker Project Skillshare on March 1. This day-long event will feature workshops and roundtables that will help independent workers develop the skills they need to build successful businesses and thrive in the changing world of work. The Skillshare is scheduled for Thursday, March 1 from 9:00 […]
The Born Freelancer on Drawing a Line in the Sand
This series of posts by the Born Freelancer shares personal experiences and thoughts on issues relevant to freelancers. Have something to add to the conversation? We’d love to hear from you in the comments. Sooner or later it will happen. Every working freelancer will eventually confront employer demands so egregious, so patently unfair, that they will be forced […]
CBC Freelance Specific Services Contracts – Good Value or a Possible Minefield?
by Don Genova Last month I went over the nuts and bolts of CBC’s Freelance Contributor Contracts. But CBC also uses other kinds of contracts with freelancers. One of those is the Freelance Specific Services contract. For a type of contract that often gets used by the CBC to hire freelancers, it sure doesn’t say […]
Critic says new Globe and Mail freelance contract isn’t fair to writers
by Mitchell Thompson The Globe and Mail has received criticism for a revamped freelance contract that one critic says doesn’t treat authors fairly. Content Writers Group — formerly known as the Canadian Writers Group — founder Derek Finkle said the provisions in the Globe’s “amended and restated” freelance contract take away rights freelancers previously retained, with […]
Back to School: The ABC’s of CBC Freelance Contracts
by Don Genova There are actually A’s, and B’s, and C stands for Copyright in a typical CBC Freelance Contributor Contract, but I’ll get to those in a bit. With the new broadcast season, more local and national programs, radio, TV or digital, will be engaging freelancers to provide material for their shows in the […]
Know Your Worth, Know Your Rights with Don Genova
by Grace Szucs More often than not, writers are being asked to sign contracts these days, says Don Genova, president of CMG Freelance. Contracts can protect you, but they can also put an unfair burden on the writer. Genova went over some freelance contract basics at an info session hosted by the Canadian Media Guild and CWA […]
CMG Freelance compiling a freelance contract tips sheet
When it comes to contracts, if you’re not sure what they mean, ask for help. Ask your colleagues. Ask the CMG. Use the ‘Lancer email list or the Story Board Facebook group to ask around for someone who has signed (or read but not signed) a contract for the place you’re hoping to work for. […]
Hey, CBC Freelancers, You’re Getting A Raise!
By Don Genova, CMG Freelance Branch President Journalists who contribute to the CBC on a freelance basis are now subject to new minimum rates as of April 1, 2017. The Canadian Media Guild and CBC have agreed to a 1.5% across-the-board increase in rates contained in the collective agreement. This means the rates have risen […]
Indemnity clauses – the rickety bridges of freelancing
by Lesley Evans Ogden Imagine you want to climb up a mountain to a beautiful viewpoint. You’ve done some research, figured out how to get to the trailhead, packed your backpack, and climbed most of the way up the mountain. But on the final ascent you arrive at a deep chasm. The only way across […]
Writers speak out against The Walrus’s new freelance agreement
Last fall, The Walrus’s contributor agreement came under scrutiny during what is referred to by many freelancers as “the Alex Gillis affair.” The incident – which you can read about in detail on Canadaland – led to a discussion on the Toronto Freelance Editors and Writers listserv about kill fees and “idea appropriation.” Literary agent […]
