The Canadian Opera Agreement (COA) is Equity’s collective agreement negotiated with the Canadian Opera Company.
The current agreement expires June 30, 2028.
This reference material is provided as a summary for convenience only. Please read the Agreement for the full terms and conditions.
Questions? Your Business Representative is Ruth Leggett (ruth@caea.com).
The Categorization of Roles is an integral part of Equity’s opera agreements, used to determine the classification of a particular role (Lead, Featured, Supporting, Bit, Chorus Bit, etc.). It also contains voice types for each role (Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, etc.) and the minimum number of choristers to be engaged for each opera.
It is the Engager’s responsibility to abide by and conform to the terms and conditions of the Canadian Opera Agreement.
Furthermore, the Engager has an obligation — under both the agreement and applicable provincial legislation — to create and maintain a safe and respectful workplace for all workers. This includes ensuring that workers can raise concerns without fear of reprisal and that any incidents of inappropriate behaviour are investigated promptly.
An Engager is responsible for the deducting and remitting Working Dues, RRSP contributions, and the applicable insurance premium from Equity members, as well as an equivalent calculation from non-Equity members.
Questions specific to deductions, remittances, and invoicing should be sent directly to our Finance team at engagerAR@caea.com.
| Coverage Level | Premium Rate |
|---|---|
Premium 4 | $34.00 per member per Engagement Week |
| Tour Premiums — Length | Premium Rate |
|---|---|
Up to and including 29 days | $6.00 per member (total) |
30 to 90 days | $10.00 per member (total) |
91 days or more | $0.20 per member per day in excess of 90 days |
The Engagement Week runs from Monday to Sunday, inclusive. If an Artist’s contract starts after Tuesday or ends before Saturday, an Insurance Top Up for the Partial Week of Engagement may be required.
Please note: Source deductions from non-member Artists are not RRSP, not dues, and not insurance premiums, and should not be reported as such.
Source deductions must be remitted to Equity every second Thursday after the start of engagement by the first Artist on the production (often the Stage Manager).
As Equity must be able to reconcile the amount remitted for each individual Artist, it’s important to provide the following with your cheque:
Late remittances will be assessed a 2% percent interest charge, compounded monthly.
Have questions or need more information?
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