The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA), also sometimes referred to as the Alliance, is the Australian trade union and professional organisation which covers the media, entertainment, 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 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 (AE) The Australian Journalists Association (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, 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.
The governing bodies of the MEAA are the Federal Council, the MEAA Board, National Section Committees and Branch councils.
MEAA is headed by Chief Executive Erin Madeley, who was appointed to the role in 2022. The Board comprises the federal president ( Simon Collins) and 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) 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.
The MEAA 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.
In 2011, MEAA ("the Alliance") approached the Association of Professional Engineers, Scientists and Managers Australia "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 organisations that monitors press freedom and free expression violations worldwide.
Awards
In 1992, the MEAA became trustee of the Walkley 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.
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.