Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance

The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), also referred to as The Alliance, is the Australian trade union and professional organisation which covers the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries. Its members include people working in TV, radio, theatre, the film industry, cinemas, entertainment venues and recreation grounds, including journalists, actors, dancers, sportspeople, cartoonists, photographers, orchestral and opera performers, as well as people working in public relations, advertising, publishing and website production.

MEAA
Full nameMedia, Entertainment & Arts Alliance
Founded1992 (1992)
Members15,494 (as at 30 June 2020)[1]
AffiliationACTU, FIA, NSW Labor, SA Labor
Key peoplePaul Murphy, Chief Executive
Office locationRedfern, New South Wales
CountryAustralia
Websitewww.meaa.org

Creation

The Alliance was created in 1992 through the merging of the unions covering actors, journalists and entertainment industry employees:

Since amalgamation, the Symphony Orchestra Musicians Association (SOMA) & the NSW Artworkers Union have joined the Alliance, a Professional Sports Branch has been created & the Screen Technicians Association of Australia (STAA) reconstituted itself under the Alliance banner.

In 2005 New Zealand Actors Equity (NZAE) affiliated to MEAA.[2]

Sections

The MEAA consists of four main sections:[3]

  • MEDIA - This represents journalists and media staffers who were previously covered by the AJA
  • EQUITY - Actors Equity is home to Australia's professional performers including screen actors, theatre practitioners and dancers
  • ECS - (Entertainment Crew & Sport). This consists of all non-performance employees including technicians, venue staff and ushers, and racing/sport staff
  • MUSICIANS - This comprises the SOMA (Symphony Orchestra Musician Association) and TOMA (Theatre Orchestra Musicians Association)

Affiliations

The Alliance is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), the International Federation of Actors and the International Federation of Journalists. It is a member of the Australian Copyright Council and is represented on all major training bodies catering for its members and State Labor Councils on behalf of its actors and other entertainment industry sections (excluding journalists) and in some states some sections are affiliated with the Australian Labor Party.

The Alliance is also a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a global network of more than 70 non-governmental organisations that monitors press freedom and free expression violations worldwide.

The union is headed by CEO Paul Murphy who was appointed to the role in 2015.

Awards

The Alliance is trustee of the Walkley Award for Excellence in Journalism annually divided into individual categories. There are awards for the best entrant in each category, as well as the winner of the "Press photographer of the year", "Journalism Leadership Award" and the "Gold Walkley".

A foundation for performer members, the Equity Foundation was established to run professional development programs and a new series of Equity Awards for "Lifetime Achievement" and "Ensemble Casts".

Events

MEAA and The Hobbit production in New Zealand
Main article: The Hobbit (film series) § Industrial dispute in New Zealand

In September 2010, NZAE objected to contracts for actors in The Hobbit series planned for filming in New Zealand. MEAA notified the International Federation of Actors, which on 24 September 2010 issued a Do Not Work order for members worldwide. Producer Peter Jackson[4] and minister Chris Finlayson[5] claimed that New Zealand's Commerce Act 1986 made it illegal for the producers to engage in collective bargaining with NZAE on two grounds: first, that it represented independent contractors; and, second, that it was based outside New Zealand (being part of MEAA). The Screen Production and Development Association alleged that "MEAA/Equity has no legal status in New Zealand".[6] The independent-contractor assertions were called into question by the 2005 courtcase Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd. A. F. Tyson noted that critics "frequently focuse[d] on the MEAA rather than the NZAE"[2]

On 20 October 2010, a Wellington meeting of NZAE was called off in the face of a protest planned by hundreds of film crew who feared The Hobbit production would relocate to Eastern Europe.[7] On 26 October Simon Whipp of NZAE was quoted as saying that he would feel no guilt if it relocated.[8] On 29 October the government rushed a bill amendmening the 1986 act through Parliament, overturning the 2005 decision by explicitly declaring all film workers to be independent contractors.

Emails released in December 2010 by way of the Official Information Act showed that Jackson told the Government he did not believe an international actors' boycott would force The Hobbit overseas. The message, sent to the office of Economic Development Minister Gerry Brownlee on 18 October, contrasts comments the film-maker made earlier in the month.[9] A full list of the e-mails was released in February 2013 by the Ombudsman, at the request of Radio New Zealand and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions, despite resistance on the grounds of commercial sensitivity from the New Zealand Government and Wingnut Films.[10]

See also

References

Sources
  • Tyson, A. F. (2011). "A synopsis of the "Hobbit Dispute"" (PDF). New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations. 36 (3): 5–13. ISSN 1176-4716. Retrieved 2 July 2019.

Citations
  1. "MEAA annual report 2019-20".
  2. Tyson p.13 note 1
  3. "What is your Section?". MEAA. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  4. "Statement regarding The Hobbit and claims by MEAA". Peter Jackson. 27 September 2010.; Harper, Paul (1 October 2010). "Jackson: Fees to my actors 'fair', 'generous'". The New Zealand Herald.
  5. "Govt shouldn't take sides on Hobbit - CTU". The New Zealand Herald. 30 September 2010.
  6. "SPADA on Hobbit Battle" (Press release). SPADA. 28 September 2010.
  7. Wade, Amelia (21 October 2010). "Filming of The Hobbit moving overseas". The New Zealand Herald.; Donnell, Hayden (21 October 2010). "NZ actors 'feeling misrepresented' by union". The New Zealand Herald.
  8. Cheng, Derek (26 October 2010). "No decision yet in Hobbit talks - Key". The New Zealand Herald.
  9. Cheng, Derek (21 December 2010). "Sir Peter: Actors no threat to Hobbit". The New Zealand Herald.
  10. Ombudsman Decision In Hobbit Case Feb 2013 - Full Text
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.