CASC, Unifor Partnership, and the Future of Stand-up

Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen

Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project

Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2025/06/14

Clifford Myers, Canadian comedian and president of the Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch, and Improv Comedians (CASC). Myers discussed CASC’s founding in 2017, initiated by Sandra Battaglini to achieve federal recognition for comedians as artists. CASC’s recent partnership with the Canadian Freelance Union, part of Unifor, provides comedians with health benefits, contract support, professional development, and a national talent directory. Myers emphasized comedy’s professionalization, the need for accessible resources, and the growing international interest in Canada’s model. He advocates for an open-source approach to empower comedians worldwide as both artists and entrepreneurs.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen: Today, we are here with Clifford Myers. He is a Canadian comedian, writer, and advocate dedicated to empowering artists in the comedy industry. He is president of the Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch, and Improv Comedians (CASC).

He champions comedians’ rights and recognition as essential contributors to Canadian culture. Myers was key in forging a landmark partnership between CASC and the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU) affiliated with Unifor. For transparency, I am also a member of Unifor.

Myers helped establish this partnership to expand access to benefits, protections, and support for freelance performers. Known for his engaging stage presence and sharp wit, Myers blends his creative talents with passionate advocacy to foster a more inclusive, professional, and sustainable comedy landscape across Canada. He is the founder of The Other Comedy Company.

What motivated the formation of the Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch, and Improv Comedians in 2017? Also, how does the new partnership between CASC and Unifor benefit freelance comedians?

Clifford Myers: In 2017, Sandra Battaglini began this movement by writing a petition to the federal government, advocating for Canadian comedians to be officially recognized as artists at the federal level. At that time, comedians were not eligible for arts grants and other funding streams available to other artists because stand-up and comedic performances were not formally recognized as art forms in Canada.

This issue galvanized many comedians. As Sandra pursued this cause, she received growing support from the comedy community and connected with various lobbyists and arts advocacy groups. These advisers encouraged her to consider forming a formal association to represent comedians.

Initially, Sandra resisted, noting, “I’m just a comedian. I am speaking out because it matters, but I do not know if this is something I want to take on fully.” However, with widespread support from comedians across Canada, she founded the Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch, and Improv Comedians (CASC).

At the outset, the organization’s main goal was to achieve recognition of comedy as a legitimate art form at the federal level. Over time, the mission expanded to advocate for better working conditions, fairer access to funding, and stronger labor protections for comedians.

One key issue for Canadian comedians is the severe imbalance in cross-border work access. For an American comedian to perform in Canada, the process is relatively inexpensive — typically requiring a permit that costs around CAD 230, which can be lower depending on circumstances. However, for a Canadian comedian to perform legally in the United States, they generally require a P-1 or O-1 visa, which can cost between $5,000 and USD 10,000 or more, depending on legal fees and application complexity. This significant barrier limits international opportunities for Canadian comedians.

Through the partnership with the Canadian Freelance Union (CFU), CASC members now have access to contract templates, dispute resolution support, insurance options, and professional resources — a significant step toward establishing a stronger foundation for comedians working independently across Canada.

Jacobsen: And what, traditionally, have Canadian comedians been doing to try to get work in a larger country right next door, where American comedians can get work here freely?

Myers: We have had to go through a “circus visa” — we had to pretend we were clowns. You know? There has always been an imbalance in getting work across the border.

You have to look at our landscape: we have a country that is two and a half times the size of the United States but has a population roughly the size of California. We are a small industry.

To get work, we need funding from our federal government or streamlined processes that allow us exposure to the American market. Neither of those things is happening.

Our association started with the question: How do we legitimize comedy as an art form and a craft? We are comedy workers—this is our profession.

That is when Unifor came into the picture through their chapter program. We were not outright unionizing but became a community chapter to streamline comedians’ benefits.

Right now, Canadian comedians cannot access things like dental benefits or grievance support — none of that was available. As we continued our mission for the legitimacy of comedy in Canada, it became much more about being recognized for what we truly are: freelance comedy workers.

That is where the Canadian Freelance Union came into this partnership. We saw a way to bolster their organization through our involvement and, in return, gain access to a streamlined process for accessing professional resources.

Now, we are going to be able to educate Canadian comedians. We are creating an education hub where comedians can learn how to set their rates, negotiate deals, and set themselves up for health benefits — all the things needed to operate as professionals.

The more people we have made a living in Canadian comedy, the more visible it becomes as a viable career path. It grows the art form and preserves a part of our culture.

This partnership has been a win-win across the board: now we have staff, access to PR and media, and new avenues for work. Even directly with Unifor, we will host quarterly showcases for our comedians, helping them land more corporate gigs.

We are raising your ability to get work, raise your profile, and learn and refine your craft. This was a very strategic maneuver, completely mission-aligned. Right? Throughout the process, which took over a year, we kept saying, “This is getting us one step closer to what Sandra was talking about from the very beginning.”

That has always been the entire direction of this organization. It has never been anything else. It has always been about equipping and empowering Canadian comedians. It continues to do so.

Now, we are even at the point where small groups of people from different parts of the world — places like South Africa and Ireland — are contacting us about our association and asking how they might create something similar in their countries. That is something we want to open-source: to share our process, how we approached advocacy, and how we partnered strategically so we can collaborate internationally, maybe even with comedians in the United States at some point.

This partnership is just one small step toward much bigger initiatives in the future. We want to start advocating more forcefully for federal arts funding and streamlined passport processes, making it much easier for Canadian comedians to get work.

Jacobsen: If you have a list of services — in more concrete terms, outside of visa and cross-border work — what resources and support systems can CASC members now access through Unifor?

Myers: So now CASC members have immediate access to benefits and discounts we did not have before. One of the most significant additions is a national directory, where comedians can create profiles to advertise their services to producers and bookers who are explicitly looking for unionized talent.

So that is a big one — it is opening us up to an entirely new employment arm, which is incredible.

CASC members now have access to other services, including contract advice, advanced grievance support, advocacy and representation, and affordable health and dental insurance—a major one. Many comedians have struggled for years to get dental insurance. Members can now access home and auto insurance discounts, commercial liability insurance, union savings programs, and educational opportunities.

This covers exactly what any professional worker would need. If you were going to get a job somewhere, you would expect benefits, professional development opportunities, and certain perks from being part of that profession. Right?

In our case, having a relationship with Unifor and having access to that internal directory is a massive perk—one that no other comedy organization in Canada currently has. And we have that access as an association.

It is opening the door to corporate work in a way that has never been open for comedians.

Jacobsen: How does the partnership legitimize the profession of stand-up comedians in Canada?

For instance, if we look at tier-two or even tier-one comedians, many of them talk about their history of, let us call it, “coming out” to their families as comedians—saying, “My dream is to become a comedian” instead of becoming a doctor, lawyer, engineer, astrophysicist, or astronaut.

The typical response, especially among immigrant families that have high hopes for their children’s professional futures, is often horror—because those traditional careers are culturally seen as high-status, high-income paths to elevating the family legacy in one generation.

How does this professionalization improve the status of comedians and others in the comedy profession?

Myers: That is a great question.

I would scope it out this way: when you first look at what brings someone to the comedy profession, anyone can walk up to an open mic. Everyone walks up there for a reason—and it is almost never because everything is going well and they are completely healthy and stable. That is not what brings someone to a comedy stage.

What brings people is a sense of curiosity and passion. Maybe someone says, “I do not know exactly what I want to do right now, but I know there is something here.” You can have a sense of impact through comedy — not just bringing joy to people but sometimes making a real difference.

Some people go into stand-up to advocate for things they care deeply about. Others want to perform, to entertain, to create. But you are right — it has not traditionally been seen as a professional art form because the path is so narrow. There is no clear pipeline where you study for four years, get a degree, and then level up through a structured system.

The truth is, the craft of comedy requires repetition — going over it repeatedly and performing live repeatedly. If you are only doing those repetitions in a pub in front of two people, you are only going to reach a certain ceiling. You cannot advance past that without broader support structures and opportunities.

And so, having an opportunity to work with comedians who have been doing it much longer is like the apprenticeship or mentorship system.

When we open doors for more corporate shows, that is truly what we are doing here, right? We now have this internal directory through Unifor, and it is going to open doors to more corporate work within CASC. That corporate work will be available to comedians who have been performing long enough and who have the material and the skill set to do it well.

But comedians who are not there yet can feature on those shows, participate in these showcases, and learn from the more experienced comedians. They can be given apprenticeship opportunities, actually learning in an environment that sharpens their skills—that gives them the opportunity to see what it is like to perform for a room of 200 union workers.

It is very different from performing for two people at the Fox and Firkin on a Tuesday night. You know?

Legitimizing the profession is similar to legitimizing entrepreneurship or any kind of freelance work: it is about ownership, right?

Yes, you are a performer, but you are also a one-person business. You have the ability to create proprietary material — you can make specials, you can write books, you can join projects, you can participate in productions. There are all sorts of different ways to generate income. It is a very diversified industry.

Now, with the education hub we are developing, comedians will have access to resources teaching them how to do that. The truth is that comedy attracts all kinds of people—not just those saying, “Sorry, Dad, I do not want to be a lawyer; I want to go into comedy.”

Some people are smart enough to be lawyers but do not go through the traditional academic pathways because they have ADHD, dyslexia, or face other barriers. Comedy offers them a different way to showcase their intelligence and make an impact.

There is never a downside to becoming a better communicator. However you frame it, comedy teaches you how to communicate with human beings — people who agree with you, people who disagree with you, sleepy crowds, rowdy crowds. It gives you life experience that you will not get at any university or college.

Mic drop. [Laughing]

Realistically, the way I look at it is this: I think it was Jimmy Carr who said, “We are all out for ourselves, but we are all in this together.”

And that is very true. It is an independent path — Scott’s comedy road would be different from Clifford’s, but we are in this together. We can support each other collectively. We can gather, share resources, and lift each other.

We share opportunities. We open doors to education, to learning from one another, and to developing our skill sets. That is the path to professionalism. That is the path to ownership.

That is the path to being an actual freelancer in Canada through comedy.

Jacobsen: Okay, shifting a bit — at some points, you mentioned meeting communications, community chapters, the broader landscape. That reminds me of a deeper press release about Nora Loreto. What is her vision in this?

Myers: Yeah, so Nora is passionate. She is deeply committed to what it takes to be a freelance worker and has much experience with collectivizing efforts.

She comes from a “strength in numbers” perspective—the more we collaborate and create partnerships, the more strength and bargaining power we have.

When we approached her and started talking about some of the federal-level issues we wanted to lobby and advocate for, she approached it very much from a frontline perspective: we will roll up our sleeves and get our hands dirty.

As a freelancer and an advocate for freelancers, Nora is a top-tier professional who understands that if you work independently, you must be equipped. You might not always feel prepared, but you can be fitted.

That is the real gap for many freelancers in any field. When people do not know what they are doing yet, the difference often comes down to whether they have the resources to figure it out.

That is the definition of resourcefulness. Do you know how to get what you need to do what you are trying to do?

And that is what she is trying to create: a pipeline for freelancers—whether in Industry A or Industry B—so that even if they already have the skill set, ability, and passion, they also have the actual resources and systems to succeed.

They want to do it. They want to work independently. They want that self-ownership. But they do not know how to get there. They do not know how to do it well.

This collection of professionals is a community of people working at different levels and at different stages of their freelance careers. Seeing that in action is a kind of collective learning. It is like a school in itself.

You can observe: “Oh, this person set up their website this way. That person markets their freelance business like this.” Now that comedians are going to be able to get involved, Nora appreciates that we are bringing even more fun, collaboration, play, and community-centred activities into the mix.

I think that is where Nora and I align — we see the independent and the collective as one thing. Right? These independents are part of the collective but also maintain their own identity.

And we love that idea. If you have ever been to any kind of internal meeting for a union or a similar organization—whether it is Unifor or anywhere else—you know it is typically pretty stuffy. You go to an AGM, and it is, “Okay, let us go through the docket, point by point.”

Now, having comedians who can emcee these events, participate, and bring energy, personality, and community-building into the room — creates real synergy.

We are building a community around the mission. It is not just transactional. It is experiential.

We can make an impact. We can get involved in different ways. And that is what fires people up for involvement.

Especially if you are a freelancer, it would be easy to say, “I am doing my own thing. Why would I want to be a part of anything else? I am good over here.”

That is an easy thing to say. But what will be attractive is, “Hey, they are having much fun over there. They are working, they are developing, they are getting better, and they are having a good time doing it.”

I see nothing wrong with that dream and that vision — and that is what Nora presented to us.

And listen, I have talked to her a few times. We have had some very long meetings. She is passionate.

She gets her fingers into the dirt and keeps digging. That is the kind of person we are excited to work with.

Jacobsen: Earlier, you mentioned South Africa and Ireland. The most prominent South African comedian people are probably thinking of — and you are already aware — is Trevor Noah from The Daily Show and, of course, his wider career.

He is exceptionally talented with cultural commentary, language play, and impersonations for comedic — and even a little educational — effects. In that way, he edges a bit closer to a Dave Chappelle or George Carlin style, although Chappelle says he is not a great impersonator. 

Regardless, when you have three different regions now — North America through your current partnership, Ireland from a Western European perspective reaching out, and South Africa representing an African continental connection — what does that say to you about the increasingly global reach of comedy today? Not just as a legitimate art form, which seems increasingly recognized, but as a legitimate profession?

Myers: It is so interesting when you get into a profession that you realize is a global language. People laugh all over the world, in every single culture. And in every culture, they have a different approach to what makes them laugh.

When I meet comedians from different backgrounds, I am always curious and interested. For example, if you talk to an Indian comedian, they have to adhere to many customs—especially if they are performing within India—so their humour tends to skew differently.

What is happening within Canada right now is that comedians are collectivizing — and that is drawing the attention of other smaller communities internationally.

Realistically, Canada has a deep cultural history in comedy. We have played a massive role in legitimizing comedy as an actual art form.

We have had the largest comedy festival in the world in Montreal — Just for Laughs. We had one of the biggest comedy chains in the world with Yuck Yucks. We have produced some of the most considerable talents in the world: Norm Macdonald, John Candy, Catherine O’Hara.

Our fingerprints are all over the history of comedy.

So it makes sense that our fingerprints are all over the current movement, too — especially when legitimizing professional comedy work.

You have these smaller comedy communities worldwide that see what we are doing in Canada and think, “Hey, what are they up to over there?”

Canada might seem like a small country from the outside, but we are always up to something when it comes to comedy.

So they reach out — not necessarily to partner, not necessarily to have a direct relationship — but to learn.

It shows us that there has to be a level of transparency in what we are doing right now. Because what we are doing is impacting other regions across the world, not just Canada.

It is amazing to see the passion of these comedians—and it is not just young comedians. It is people of all ages. They are individuals who want to make their communities laugh and help scale the art form where they are.

So they are coming to us for open-source education: “How did you do this?” “How did you advocate?”

And we are very transparent. We tell them, “We started by writing a letter. Then, we got involved with Members of Parliament. Here is how creating an association works in Canada. Here is technically how you go the nonprofit route. Here is how you create memberships.”

We are open-sourcing what we do so that other places can learn from it.

When we launch the educational resource hub as part of this partnership, one of our first projects will include that information so that other communities can start creating their own associations.

We might not partner directly, but we will create materials to help equip them because we believe there is strength in numbers. I strongly agree with Nora on that.

We see this as another opportunity: another notch on the comedy pioneer belt. It is cool that Canada continues to be a comedy innovator — and others recognize that.

They see that when Canadians get involved in comedy, we put our money where our mouth is and get it done.

So when I talk to these other comedians, I see students. I see people who are ready to learn and want to understand how we are building this.

Of course, there is a disconnect. I do not know all the ins and outs of their regions, and I do not know exactly what they can or cannot do—how to start an association in Ireland, for example, because I do not live there.

But I can help with research and connect people with resources. That is really the spirit behind what we are doing.

I am always happy to pass any research I have forward to anyone interested. I am constantly doing that—for myself, the association, and my business. I believe in this very much.

During the pandemic, I worked at Shopify, which has a very much open-source builder mentality. I brought that mindset into the leadership of this organization: We should open-source a lot of what we are building because we believe in it.

This idea of open-sourced comedy as a business has not been introduced to the industry before.

Comedy has always been full of sacred cows and gatekeepers — “Oh, you have to know someone to get into Just for Laughs,” or “You have to sit on Johnny Carson’s couch,” that kind of thing.

And now we are saying: or you can do it yourself. You can create your audience. You can build your brand. You can have your couch, be your own Johnny, and start your own CFL instead of waiting for someone else’s JFL.

We are in a different time now. We are in a time of builders.

When I see this globalization of comedy, I see hungry builders. Do you want to call them comedians? Sure. But I am calling them entrepreneurs.

They are freelancers. They are people who want to build something that has an impact. And just like any entrepreneur, they are going to be gritty and hungry—and a big part of that is making sure they are fed.

That is where the education piece comes in.

Jacobsen: Clifford, thank you very much—not the big red dog—for taking the time today to share your expertise. It was nice to meet you.

Myers: Scott, it’s a pleasure to meet you. You’re a really interesting guy, too. You have all those deep-cut comedy references.

I look forward to talking to you again.

Jacobsen: That is kind. All right. You take care.

Myers: Later, buddy. Bye.

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