OTTAWA—CPIA is seeking to restructure the organization into an independent entity separate from provincial associations, with its own direct membership. The association will ask members to vote on such a motion at its annual meeting on October 14.

If the vote passes, CPIA will sever its contractual relationship with FARAs (Formally Affiliated Regional Associations) at the end of the year, and move to create its own membership base collecting fees directly.

Under current contracts, printing companies are members of CPIA only through the FARAs, which also collect fees and remit them to CPIA. In provinces where no FARA exists, membership to the CPIA is direct. Many industry observers had described this structure as an uneasy alliance over the years giving rise to conflicting interests.
 

“We chose this option only after a long process. If we could find a way to make the current structure work, we would,” said CPIA president Bob Elliot. But, he added, the association is in a position where it has to look to an optional structure to ensure its viability going forward.
 

CPIA membership has been in decline in recent years with a negative impact on the association’s finances. The recession only made the situation more serious as more members fell by the wayside, according to a background document distributed in advance of the annual meeting. The CPIA board sees the new structure as the only viable alternative for the association.