The reform of the status of the artist presented last week by the Legault government worries publishers, who fear that this bill will lead to a balance of power that would be unfavorable to them against writers. They now hope to be reassured by the Minister of Culture, Nathalie Roy, to whom they ask for details.
“We learn that the law which has governed literature for 35 years has been repealed. The landmarks that served as guides in our relationships with authors no longer exist. They were self-employed and will become employees. It changes a lot of things. There are plenty of technical details that the government will have to explain to us better, ”said Arnaud Foulon, president of the National Association of Book Publishers (ANEL).
Remember that one of the key points of Bill 35 consists of including writers in the law that currently governs the working conditions of performing and audiovisual artists. This means that each writer would no longer have to negotiate their contract by mutual agreement with their publisher. If the overhaul of the status of the artist were to be adopted, the Union of Quebec Writers and Writers (UNEQ) would be given the mandate to establish a collective agreement with publishers, as the Union des artistes already does with television producers, for example.
Except that for Arnaud Foulon, publishing houses have nothing to do with producers, who operate in a much more flourishing industry than the literary milieu in Quebec. “Nothing lets us predict that this law will lead to better socio-economic conditions for creators. Currently, 6,000 books are published each year in Quebec. Will it stay like that with the new law? I don’t know,” he said in an interview. To have to.
A point of view totally opposed to that of the president of the UNEQ, Suzanne Aubry. According to the union organization, the ratification of a major collective agreement in the world of publishing would inevitably result in better socio-economic conditions for authors. “When the first Status of the Artist Act was passed in the 1980s, producers were also saying there were going to be fewer movies and shows. But in the end, quite the opposite happened. I think that the new law will also prove to be a winner for all the actors in the book chain”, to continue Mr.me Aubry, in response to ANEL.
Different realities
A professor of literary studies at the University of Sherbrooke, Anthony Glinoer understands the motivations that drive the UNEQ to want to better regulate working conditions in the book industry. Especially since most authors barely earn 10% of the profits on their book sales, in addition to not being paid to participate in special events, such as book fairs.
It would be a huge revolution if there was only one collective agreement to solve all the problems of authors
But Mr. Glinoer is also sensitive to the arguments of publishers, who are few to roll on gold. In an industry with so many disparities, he finds it hard to see how UNEQ would go about imposing a single collective agreement on all publishers.
“It would be a huge revolution if there was only one collective agreement to settle all the problems of authors. Because there are different genres of books, different types, different modes of distribution. A cookbook that is sold in the supermarket is not the same as a novel. Perhaps it would be necessary to go there by sectoral agreements, but there again, how to establish the different sectors? In the world of publishing, everyone touches a bit of everything, ”said the one who teaches the history of publishing.
Despite doubts, UNEQ maintains its hope that the entire literary industry will be subject to the same framework. The few star writers, who are currently able to sign more advantageous contracts than most authors, could still continue to negotiate higher fees than the minimum conditions provided for in the collective agreement, assured the UNEQ.
If, of course, Bill 35 does not die on the order paper. Nathalie Roy’s cabinet reiterated Monday its wish to see it adopted before the elections. Discussions between the different parties in the National Assembly are still ongoing in order to speed up its study.