Thank you for your piece on AEA’s response to the lawsuit filed against them.
I wanted to point out that AEA is not technically a Union, you used Union to describe them several times). It is an Association. I point this out, because it is an important distinction. A union is designed to find employment for its members. Guilds and Associations aren’t under the same rules.
As my friend Pete Davies pointed out: “Looking at the AEA Constitution and By-Laws, and doing a word search of that document, the word “union” is only found ONE TIME. And that is only in a 1975 “Reciprocal Agreement” between the Actors’ Equity Association of the United States and the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association – found in Appendix D (and attached to the end of the document). On the other hand, the word “Association” is found 142 times, including 4 times in the Preamble, and another 4 times under Article I NAME: “The name of this Association shall be the Actors’ Equity Association. It is and shall be a voluntary Association, under the laws of the state of New York, consisting of seven or more persons and having a President and Secretary/Treasurer. Its seal shall be circular and bear the name of the Association and the date of organization. Its principal office shall be located in the borough of Manhattan, city and state of New York, and it shall endure until dissolved by action of its National Council and its members, as hereinafter provided.”
Thank you for your piece on AEA’s response to the lawsuit filed against them.
I wanted to point out that AEA is not technically a Union, you used Union to describe them several times). It is an Association. I point this out, because it is an important distinction. A union is designed to find employment for its members. Guilds and Associations aren’t under the same rules.
As my friend Pete Davies pointed out: “Looking at the AEA Constitution and By-Laws, and doing a word search of that document, the word “union” is only found ONE TIME. And that is only in a 1975 “Reciprocal Agreement” between the Actors’ Equity Association of the United States and the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association – found in Appendix D (and attached to the end of the document). On the other hand, the word “Association” is found 142 times, including 4 times in the Preamble, and another 4 times under Article I NAME: “The name of this Association shall be the Actors’ Equity Association. It is and shall be a voluntary Association, under the laws of the state of New York, consisting of seven or more persons and having a President and Secretary/Treasurer. Its seal shall be circular and bear the name of the Association and the date of organization. Its principal office shall be located in the borough of Manhattan, city and state of New York, and it shall endure until dissolved by action of its National Council and its members, as hereinafter provided.”