Today on Notes from the Field, we’re going to address a few questions we’ve had from Members about dues—like how much are they, where they’re allocated and how they do or do not fund Member services.

How much do I pay in dues every year?
There are two kinds of dues that you pay as a DGC Member:

• Annual dues to DGC National: $750 for Full Members or $450 for Associate Members. The rate is set by the National Executive Board, who may also offer a discount to Members.
• Working dues: 2% of your earnings that go to the DGC BC. How much you pay in working dues depends on how much you earn. Working dues are processed with your payroll and submitted automatically to the Guild. That amount will appear on your T4 every year.

What do these dues pay for?
Annual dues paid to National pay for the work done out of our National office including, among other things: 

• Lobbying and advocacy with government at the federal level, as well as with funding entities like Telefilm and the Canada Media Fund
• Analysis of trends and relevant changes in the industry, like Bill C-11 or Generative Artificial Intelligence
• Managing the National Directors Division
• Administering the DGC Census
• Commissioning and analyzing studies on gender equity and other important subjects
• National also is responsible for the DGC Awards and for overseeing the Guild’s benefits and Retirement Savings Plan (CEIRP).

Working dues paid to the DGC BC pay for all the things our local District Council does: 

• Negotiating and enforcing the DGC BC Collective Agreement, including answering questions from Members and employers on rights and responsibilities
• Administering membership including our Permittee Logbook Holder Program and Member upgrades
• Representing our Members in disciplinary issues with the Employers
• Training at all levels, including scholarship and professional development reimbursement opportunities
• Promoting our Members to Employers and supporting Member career advancement
• Administering weekly production and availability lists, and publishing the weekly Ebulletin and other communications
• Organizing and hosting Member meetings and events like the AGM, annual barbecue, kids’ Christmas Party, and the Member holiday party
• Marketing BC as a filming destination
• Lobbying and advocacy with government at the provincial and municipal levels
• Partnering with other BC unions on initiatives like Calltime Mental Health
• Working with the Human Rights Tribunal on our special programs
• Support and sponsorship for various BC film festivals and other film-related events like Creative Industries Week at the BC Legislature, among others
• Support for industry sustainability and equity initiatives.

This is not an exhaustive list, but provides an overview of some of the work of the DGC BC District Council.

Do my dues go towards DGC Benefits coverage?
No, they don’t. DGC Benefits is entirely funded by employer contributions. This amount can vary across the country, but in BC on most rate sheets it’s 4% plus $12/day on top of your gross pay.

So if you were to make $100/day (using a nice round number for this example), then your employer contributes $16/day to the benefit plan. This also happens automatically when your pay is processed. Your automatic level of coverage is determined by the total of those contributions over a two year period. Click here for more information about DGC Benefits eligibility and coverage.

As always, let us know if you have any questions!

Alexis Hinde
Assistant Business Agent and Field Rep