The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), also sometimes referred to as the Alliance, is the Australian
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
and
professional organisation
A professional association (also called a professional body, professional organization, or professional society) usually seeks to further a particular profession, the interests of individuals and organisations engaged in that profession, and th ...
which covers the
media
Media may refer to:
Communication
* Media (communication), tools used to deliver information or data
** Advertising media, various media, content, buying and placement for advertising
** Broadcast media, communications delivered over mass el ...
,
entertainment
Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...
, sports and arts industries.
Its Musicians section consists of the SOMA (Symphony Orchestra Musician Association), TOMA (Theatre Orchestra Musicians Association), and, since December 2018, a new
trade union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
for musicians, Musicians Australia (MA).
History
The MEAA was created in 1992, registered on 18 May 1992, through the merging of the unions covering actors, journalists and entertainment industry employees:
*
Actors Equity of Australia
Actors Equity of Australia was an Australian trade union representing actors and other performers. It existed from 1920 to 1993.
It was established as the Actors' Federation of Australasia in 1920. It was renamed Actors' Equity of Australia in 19 ...
(AE)
* The
Australian Journalists Association
The Australian Journalists Association (AJA) was an Australian trade union for journalists from 1910–1992.
In 1913 the Australian Journalists' Association merged with the Australian Writers' and Artists' Union. This union had been formed in 19 ...
(AJA)
*
The Australian Theatrical & Amusement Employees Association (ATAEA)
In 2006, the Symphony Orchestra Musicians Association (SOMA) joined, creating a fourth section.
[
The New South Wales Artworkers Union joined the MEAA, a Professional Sports Branch was created, and the Screen Technicians Association of Australia (STAA) reconstituted itself under the Alliance banner.
]
Description
MEAA members include people working in TV, radio, theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...
, the film industry
The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...
, cinemas, entertainment venues and recreation grounds, including journalist
A journalist is an individual that collects/gathers information in form of text, audio, or pictures, processes them into a news-worthy form, and disseminates it to the public. The act or process mainly done by the journalist is called journalism ...
s, actors, dancers, sportspeople, cartoonist
A cartoonist is a visual artist who specializes in both drawing and writing cartoons (individual images) or comics (sequential images). Cartoonists differ from comics writers or comic book illustrators in that they produce both the literary and ...
s, photographer
A photographer (the Greek language, Greek φῶς (''phos''), meaning "light", and γραφή (''graphê''), meaning "drawing, writing", together meaning "drawing with light") is a person who makes photographs.
Duties and types of photographe ...
s, orchestral and opera
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...
performers, as well as people working in public relations
Public relations (PR) is the practice of managing and disseminating information from an individual or an organization (such as a business, government agency, or a nonprofit organization) to the public in order to influence their perception. P ...
, advertising
Advertising is the practice and techniques employed to bring attention to a product or service. Advertising aims to put a product or service in the spotlight in hopes of drawing it attention from consumers. It is typically used to promote a ...
, publishing
Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...
and website production.[
The governing bodies of the MEAA are the Federal Council, the MEAA Board, National Section Committees and Branch councils.]
the MEAA is headed by CEO Paul Murphy, who was appointed to the role in 2015. The Board comprises the federal president ( Simon Collins) and 13 (or 14?[) other members representing various industries and regions. Federal Council comprises representatives who are elected by MEAA members every two years.][
]
Sections
The MEAA consists of four main sections:
* Media - Representing journalists and media staffers previously covered by the Australian Journalists Association
* Equity - Actors Equity, representing Australian professional performers, including screen actors, theatre practitioners and dancers
* ECS - (Entertainment Crew & Sport), including non-performance employees such as technicians, venue staff and ushers, and sport staff
* MEAA Musicians, including sub-sections:
**SOMA (Symphony Orchestra Musician Association);
**TOMA (Theatre Orchestra Musicians Association); and
**Musicians Australia.
Musicians Australia (MA) was created in December 2018 as a union of non-employee musicians, focused on and acting only for musicians. Between then and June 2020, the Musicians section had grown by 518 members. MA's campaigns have focused on "calling out the exploitation of musicians and developing consensus around our core claim for minimum payments". Its "Love Live Music" campaign amplified the voices of musicians so that they could be heard by key decision-makers, as well as promoting their well-being of musicians and creating greater awareness of their economic value. An industry code of conduct is under development, to set fair rates for both venues and musicians.
Affiliations
In 2005 NZ Actors Equity (NZAE) affiliated to MEAA.[Tyson p.13 note 1]
The MEAA is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions
The Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), originally the Australasian Council of Trade Unions, is the largest peak body representing workers in Australia. It is a national trade union centre of 46 affiliated unions and eight trades and la ...
(ACTU), the International Federation of Actors
The International Federation of Actors (french: Federation Internationale des Acteurs, FIA) is a global union federation bringing together trade unions representing actors.
History
The federation was established in 1952, on the initiative of Briti ...
and the International Federation of Journalists
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is the largest global union federation of journalists' trade unions in the world. It represents more than 600,000 media workers from 187 organisations in 146 countries.
The IFJ is an associate ...
. It is a member of the Australian Copyright Council
Australian Copyright Council (ACC) is an Australian non-profit organisation established in 1968 whose purpose is to promote understanding of copyright law in Australia.
Affiliates
the following organisations are affiliated with the Australia ...
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 Australian Labor Party (ALP), also simply known as Labor, is the major centre-left political party in Australia, one of two major parties in Australian politics, along with the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia. The party forms the f ...
.
In 2011, MEAA ("the Alliance") approached the "to explore the benefits of collaboration by sharing back-end services or amalgamation".
The MEAA is also a member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange, a global network of more than 70 non-governmental organisation
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from g ...
s that monitors press freedom and free expression violations worldwide.
Awards
In 1992, the MEAA became trustee of the Walkley Awards
The annual Walkley Awards are presented in Australia to recognise and reward excellence in journalism. They cover all media including print, television, documentary, radio, photographic and online media. The Gold Walkley is the highest prize and ...
, after the merger of the MEAA and the Australian Journalists' Association. In 2000, the Walkley Foundation for Journalism was created to manage the awards.
The Equity Foundation was established for performer members of the MEAA. It is "a professional development arm of MEAA Equity and Equity NZ". It runs professional development programs and, since 2011, a series of awards known as the Equity Awards. An Australian lifetime achievement award has been presented since 2009, and a New Zealand one since 2015.
Activities
In January 2011, the Alliance gave a submission to Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the Australian Federal Government's key funding body for the Australian screen production industry, created under the ''Screen Australia Act 2008''. From 1 July 2008 Screen Australia took over the functions of its predecess ...
regarding the revision of its television funding guidelines.
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
Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
and minister Chris Finlayson
Christopher Francis Finlayson (born 1956) is a New Zealand lawyer and former Member of Parliament, representing the National Party.
He was elected to Parliament in 2005. In the Fifth National Government, from 2008 to 2017, he was Attorney-Ge ...
claimed that New Zealand's Commerce Act 1986
The Commerce Act 1986 is a statute of New Zealand. It prohibits conduct that restricts competition and purchase of shares or assets where that would lessen competition in a market.
As well as generally governing markets, the Act gives the Comm ...
made it illegal for the producers to engage in collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiation between employers and a group of employees aimed at agreements to regulate working salaries, working conditions, benefits, and other aspects of workers' compensation and rights for workers. The i ...
with NZAE on two grounds: first, that it represented independent contractors
Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any other ...
; 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". The independent-contractor assertions were called into question by the 2005 court case ''Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd
''Bryson v Three Foot Six Ltd'' was a decision of the Supreme Court of New Zealand regarding the real status of a worker as either an employee or an independent contractor. The case concerned whether or not the Employment Court had erred in law ...
''. A. F. Tyson noted that critics "frequently focuse on the MEAA rather than the NZAE"
On 20 October 2010, a Wellington
Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...
meeting of NZAE was called off in the face of a protest planned by hundreds of film crew
A film crew is a group of people, hired by a production company, for the purpose of producing a film or motion picture. The crew is distinguished from the cast, as the cast are understood to be the actors who appear in front of the camera o ...
who feared ''The Hobbit'' production would relocate to Eastern Europe.[; ] On 26 October Simon Whipp of NZAE was quoted as saying that he would feel no guilt if it relocated. On 29 October the government rushed a bill amending 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
Gerard Anthony Brownlee (born 4 February 1956) is a New Zealand politician of the New Zealand National Party. He has been a Member of Parliament since 1996, was Leader of the House, Minister for Canterbury Earthquake Recovery and Minister of ...
on 18 October, contrasts comments the film-maker made earlier in the month. A full list of the e-mails was released in February 2013 by the Ombudsman
An ombudsman (, also ,), ombud, ombuds, ombudswoman, ombudsperson or public advocate is an official who is usually appointed by the government or by parliament (usually with a significant degree of independence) to investigate complaints and at ...
, at the request of Radio New Zealand
Radio New Zealand ( mi, Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa), commonly known as Radio NZ or simply RNZ, is a New Zealand public-service radio broadcaster and Crown entity that was established under the Radio New Zealand Act 1995. It operates news and c ...
and the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions (NZCTU or CTU; mi, Te Kauae Kaimahi) is a national trade union centre in New Zealand. The NZCTU represents 360,000 workers, and is the largest democratic organisation in New Zealand.
History
It was form ...
, despite resistance on the grounds of commercial sensitivity from the New Zealand Government and Wingnut Films.Ombudsman Decision In Hobbit Case Feb 2013 - Full Text
/ref>
See also
*List of trade unions
This is a list of trade unions and union federations by country.
International federations
Global
* Industrial Workers of the World
* International Trade Union Confederation
* International Workers Association
* World Federation of Trade Un ...
References
Sources
*
Citations
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Media, Entertainment And Arts Alliance
Trade unions in Australia
Communications and media organisations based in Australia
Trade unions in New Zealand
International Federation of Journalists
Entertainment industry unions
Communications trade unions
Trade unions established in 1992
1992 establishments in Australia