Over sixty years ago, a small group of Canadian performers met together in private to talk about the poor rates and conditions they were receiving while performing in radio drama and commercials.  Those performers pledged their solidarity to each other - they agreed that they would work only if the major producers at the time – CBC Radio and the Canadian advertising industry – gave them equitable remuneration, rights, and respect for their work.  

From those modest beginnings, the various predecessor organizations to ACTRA were formed - initially as local chapters - like the Radio Artists of Toronto Society (RATS); then later as confederations of locals – the Association of Canadian Radio Artists (ACRA).  Later, Canada ’s writers joined the group and the name of the national organization was changed to the Canadian Council of Authors and Artists.  When television was launched in Canada; the name became the Association of Canadian Radio and Television Artists (ACRTA).  Later the name was changed to ACTRA – the Association of Canadian Television and Radio Artists.  In the early 1960’s, the French language performers left ACTRA to form their own union - Union des Artistes (UDA).  The 1980’s brought about the formation of three guilds within what was renamed the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists (ACTRA).  The three guilds were the ACTRA Performers Guild (APG), the ACTRA Media Guild (AMG); and the Writers Guild of Canada (WGC).  In 1993, the writers left the ACTRA to form an independent guild.  At the same time, the ACTRA Media Guild dissolved itself having lost its jurisdiction over freelance broadcasters at the CBC.  The ACTRA Performers Guild restructured itself into a federation of local unions in 1993, and solely inherited the ACTRA mantle.  

Decisions made in 2000 completed the circle when the ACTRA Performers Guild renamed itself quite simply - ACTRA.

Through all the years, and all the changes and challenges, one constant remained – the pledge that ACTRA members make to each other  – to stick together in solidarity to secure equitable remuneration, rights, and respect for the work of Canada’s professional performers.

Put quite simply: ACTRA is the Union that represents performers in recorded media in Canada.