WINNIPEG, MB — Three workers at Arbeiter Ring Publishing (ARP Books) unanimously ratified their first collective agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 63 of Winnipeg on Tuesday, February 10. As among the first in the book publishing industry to join IATSE, they add to IATSE’s recent expansion into historically unrepresented sectors in the entertainment industry, including video games, art galleries, and visual effects (VFX) studios.

The newly organized unit includes a Designer, Marketing Coordinator, and Editor working at one of Canada’s most distinctive independent publishers. Founded as a workers’ collective in 1996, ARP Books publishes a dynamic combination of non-fiction, literary fiction, essays, poetry, and other writing with emphasis on amplifying diverse and progressive voices.

“We are thrilled to welcome these members and look forward to growing the special categories in Winnipeg,” said IATSE Local 63 Business Agent Stu Aikman. “This agreement represents another important step in our mission to represent cultural workers across all sectors of the arts and entertainment industry.”

“The staff at ARP Books are proud to join IATSE and we look forward to being part of arts and culture with Local 63,” the workers stated following ratification.

The successful ratification demonstrates the growing recognition among workers in the cultural sectors that collective bargaining provides essential protections and professional standards. Arts and cultural workers pursuing union representation can head to iatse.net/join to contact an IATSE organizer.