Wednesday, October 21, 2015
Actors' Equity Association Statement on the Minimum Wage Lawsuit
m.facebook.com/ActorsEquity: After dedicating months of staff time, conducting surveys and membership meetings--and considering the results of the advisory referendum, which prompted AEA's Council to carve out even more exemptions to its original proposals--the governing body created a system that would allow for some members to be paid minimum wage for rehearsals and performances, while those who chose to would still be able to volunteer their time to a) self-produce, b) perform with membership companies under the new internal membership rules, and c) appear in 50-seat showcases.
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Seeing the reactions to the AEA statement is incredibly frustrating. There are hordes of people responding that AEA is making the wrong choice, and yet there seems to be a complete ignorance of what the actual union members want out of their union, which is inherently counterintuitive. The voice of the union is supposed to be the voice of all of its members, so why was a two-thirds vote against this choice ignored? In addition, it seems as though many of the members in LA have pretty compelling arguments, including the idea that many of the equity members that join these smaller 99-seat contracts are simply there for the art. This is an even more clear example of ignorance, because it feels as though the union is almost so focused on the business side of things that they've forgotten that they represent artists. These people are involved in theatre because they want to make art, which is the priority for a lot of equity members.
The more I read/hear about pay inequality of any kind, whether rooted in gender bias or even something as simple as not earning a living wage, I continue to think that Unions should really be making a strong comeback. The fact that AEA actors are not even making minimum wage, let alone a living wage, seems absurd. While I was reading this post I thought to myself- ‘This must be a joke, there is no way AEA members are making less than minimum wage, they are part of the union!’ Sadly, this lag in basic pay is very real, and not just for AEA members. I am glad to see the level of commitment from AEA based off of the council’s recommendations, regardless of how much backlash they are anticipating. The power and membership in unions may soon prove to be a necessity in the income inequality fight.
However, there is the very unfortunate reality that some theatres barely have enough money to pay their actors and staff as is, let alone a minimum or living wage. I am all for theatre practioners/artists being paid AT LEAST a minimum wage, but I also recognize the reality that this may cause some theatres to close their doors, or at the very least cut back on production size and production quality. The fate of the theatre industry may be more closely tied to income inequality than most people realize. That being said, I believe the success or failure of either side will surely be a crucial turning point for the theatre industry.
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