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Topics - Maggie K

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The Hardline / Visit from My AEA Business Representative
« on: Oct 10, 2015, 04:52 pm »
Hello all!

Last week I received an interesting request.  Our Business Representative was coming to see the show on Sunday and wanted to meet with myself and my one Union cast member at some point that same day.  He also was meeting separately with our producer and was getting a tour of the space.  I, of course, fretted about the meeting a bit and spent some time double checking that everything was in compliance (it's only my second show with this contract and I've been double checking a lot anyway.)

My actor and I ended up meeting with him after the show.  He told us that he was fairly new to Equity and wanted us to have a face to put with the name.  Then he asked if we had any questions, which prompted some questions about the Deputy from me.  And we all had a lovely discussion about how AEA is going more digital.  At the end he offered us both a lot of swag (score!) and went to his meeting with the producers.  All in all it was a lovely experience and it was great to meet our Representative in person and not have him be just a voice on the phone or words in an email.  I'm also feeling a little more connected to the Union.

The reason I am posting about this is, in about five years of being an AEA member this is the first time that I've had a Business Representative come out to my theatre for a visit.  It has made me wonder, has anyone else on this board ever had a visit?  What was your experience like?  Do you think that meeting someone in person is helpful to developing a work relationship?

PS. Did you know that AEA has buttons for the Deputy that are made to look like Sheriff's badges?  I told him that I'd love to have a stash of those to offer to the Deputy of each of my shows.  Everyone loves swag!

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The Hardline / AEA Meal Break Query
« on: Jul 04, 2014, 08:02 am »
Hello all,
I intend to call my rep to clarify, but given they're closed for the holiday weekend I thought I'd ask for some opinions.  I've never run into this before and, honestly, haven't given it much thought until now.

I am currently working a LOA contract based on the LORT.  I have not had much experience with the LORT contract and have found it to be incredibly vague.  On the first day of rehearsal the Equity company voted to have the hour meal break.  My director/artistic director prefers the hour and a half break as it gives him more time to eat and clear his head before returning to rehearsal.  The company also frequently schedules staff and production meetings during the meal breaks, necessitating a longer break on those days to accommodate breaks for stage management and the director.  I notified the cast of these potential longer days when we met the first day.

When I mentioned that we needed to schedule an hour break for one of the days, my director told me that the Equity vote is so we have the option of an hour break but that it's not required.  I've never heard it put that way, so I looked it up in the rulebook.  In the LORT contract, Rule 51 (E)(1) states that:

"If the Theatre has no objection, the Deputy(ies) may reduce this break to one hour. This Deputy prerogative shall be exercised solely for the convenience and at the request of the company by a 2/3rds majority secret ballot vote of the Equity members of the company."

The phrase that I find interesting is "If the Theatre has no objection".  I can see how this can be interpreted the way my director has, that the Theatre can object to having an hour meal break and take the longer one instead on a per day basis. 

Given this interpretation, the fact that we are in a somewhat remote area, and the few cast members so far required to stay have expressed happiness with the longer break (there are a number of lovely areas outside the rehearsal building where people can sit and enjoy the day, walking paths, and a wonderful farmers' market not too far away) I have been leaning towards agreeing with the director.  Particularly on days when trying to maximize our time working around actor conflicts and the choreographer's limited availability.  However, one of the actors emailed me last night expressing concern about the call today as he was hoping we would be ending the day sooner (I believe this is because it's a holiday and the first day since the beginning that he has to be there for the full day).  But it raised the question in me of if this interpretation is correct or if I need to have a talk with my director about our scheduling.

So my question to you all is, how should this rule be understood?  Does the Theatre only have the right to object before the Equity vote and then the hour is required no matter what?  Or is it as my director believes, where the hour meal break is an option depending on the Theatre's needs day to day?

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