Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance | |
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| Founded | 1992; 33 years ago (1992) |
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| Headquarters | Redfern, New South Wales |
| Location | |
| Members |  15,624 (as at 31 December 2023)[1] |
Key people | Michael Balk, Federal President; Erin Madeley, Chief Executive; Adam Portelli, Deputy Chief Executive |
| Affiliations | ACTU,FIA,IFJ,Unions NSW,Victorian Trades Hall Council,NSW Labor |
| Website | www |
TheMedia, Entertainment & Arts Alliance(MEAA) is the Australiantrade union andprofessional organisation which covers themedia,entertainment, sports and arts industries.
Its Musicians section consists of theSOMA (Symphony Orchestra Musician Association),TOMA (Theatre Orchestra Musicians Association), and, since December 2018, a newtrade union for musicians,Musicians Australia (MA).
The MEAA was created in 1992, registered on 18 May 1992, through the merging of the unions covering actors, journalists and entertainment industry employees:[2]
In 2006, the Symphony Orchestra Musicians Association (SOMA) joined, creating a fourth section.[2]
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.[citation needed]
MEAA members include people working in TV, radio,theatre, thefilm industry, cinemas, entertainment venues and recreation grounds, includingjournalists, actors, dancers, sportspeople,cartoonists,photographers, orchestral andopera performers, as well as people working inpublic relations,advertising,publishing and website production.[2]
The governing bodies of the MEAA are the Federal Council, the MEAA Board, National Section Committees and Branch councils.[3]
MEAA is headed by Chief Executive Erin Madeley, who was appointed to the role in 2022.[4][5] The Board comprises the federal president (as of 2021[update] Simon Collins) and 14 other members representing various industries and regions.[6] Federal Council comprises representatives who are elected by MEAA members every two years.[3]
The MEAA consists of four main sections:[7]
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".[9] 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.[10]
In 2005 NZ Actors Equity (NZAE) affiliated to MEAA.[11]
The MEAA is affiliated with theAustralian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU), theInternational Federation of Actors and theInternational Federation of Journalists. It is a member of theAustralian Copyright Council and is represented on all major training bodies catering for its members and StateLabor Councils on behalf of its actors and other entertainment industry sections (excluding journalists) and in some states some sections are affiliated with theAustralian Labor Party.[citation needed]
In 2011, MEAA ("the Alliance") approached theAssociation of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia "to explore the benefits of collaboration by sharing back-end services or amalgamation".[12]
The MEAA is also a member of theInternational Freedom of Expression Exchange, a global network of more than 70non-governmental organisations that monitorspress freedom and free expression violations worldwide.[citation needed]
In 1992, the MEAA became trustee of theWalkley Awards, after the merger of the MEAA and the Australian Journalists' Association. In 2000, the Walkley Foundation for Journalism was created to manage the awards.[citation needed]
The Equity Foundation was established for performer members of the MEAA. It is "a professional development arm of MEAA Equity and Equity NZ".[13] It runs professional development programs and, since 2011, a series of awards known as theEquity Awards.[14] An Australian lifetime achievement award has been presented since 2009,[15] and a New Zealand one since 2015.[16]
In January 2011, the Alliance gave a submission toScreen Australia regarding the revision of its television funding guidelines.[17]
In September 2010, NZAE objected to contracts for actors inThe 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. ProducerPeter Jackson[18] and ministerChris Finlayson[19] claimed that New Zealand'sCommerce Act 1986 made it illegal for the producers to engage incollective bargaining with NZAE on two grounds: first, that it representedindependent 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".[20] The independent-contractor assertions were called into question by the 2005 court caseBryson v Three Foot Six Ltd. A. F. Tyson noted that critics "frequently focuse[d] on the MEAA rather than the NZAE"[11]
On 20 October 2010, aWellington meeting of NZAE was called off in the face of a protest planned by hundreds offilm crew who fearedThe Hobbit production would relocate to Eastern Europe.[21] On 26 October Simon Whipp of NZAE was quoted as saying that he would feel no guilt if it relocated.[22] 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.[citation needed]
Emails released in December 2010 by way of theOfficial Information Act showed that Jackson told the Government he did not believe an international actors' boycott would forceThe Hobbit overseas. The message, sent to the office of Economic Development MinisterGerry Brownlee on 18 October, contrasts comments the film-maker made earlier in the month.[23] A full list of the e-mails was released in February 2013 by theOmbudsman, at the request ofRadio New Zealand and theNew Zealand Council of Trade Unions, despite resistance on the grounds of commercial sensitivity from the New Zealand Government and Wingnut Films.[24]
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