VSM, it's not just a humble opinion, it's a great opinion.
There are a lot of pros and cons to run by this . . .
but I think at the heart of this is the duties of a AEA SM are vague (and one could argue they are vague for a reason). So, as long as a PA is being hired to assist the production, but not do the duties of what should be done as an AEA stage manager, it's technically okay.
The trouble we get in is when a show of a certain size is assigned two stage managers by the contract, but really needs four, and the producers in a cost saving measure, assign two PA's to fill the gaps. There are Broadway shows that have PA's tech a deck track - not cool. (I mean a great experience for the PA, but not cool).
I always had felt that it was the AEA Member's bad for accepting NON-UNION Stage Management work, but again, they aren't really doing the core duties of the stage manager, so are they doing non-union SM work? Are they just doing adjunct work?
If we take it out of stage management, if the music department was to hire a PA to photo copy, track changes, etc - they are really an assistant - I think we all feel okay about that.
It's just that every stage manager does SOOO MUCH that's not listed in the duties, on a regular basis, that the PA is going to end up doing some of those duties.
I feel like the PA position should be unionized, and then we have a win/win situation.
I would love to see the PA position paid at minimum wage (Since they wouldn't be on a management contract, they should be making minimum wage as to not fall out of favor with labor laws), plus health care/pension - at a rate set by the union. But, there would be delineation to what their duties could be (can't call cues, can't run a deck track), and be limited to "X" amount of weeks - something like up to opening, plus three weeks - at which points, the PA's would either need to say goodbye, or be converted to an AEA contract. After opening, a PA can be hired only in small batch of weeks - say two or four weeks - to cover cast changes, etc. The longer a PA stays on, their wage should increase.
The lure of AEA members to PA on big shows in NYC is multi-level. It's a way to introduce themselves to a PSM, GM, or SM team. PA's tend to get on the short list for subs, vacation covers, and sometimes, but not always, replacements. (This I think is the number one reason AEA PA's do the non-union work is for the hope of the lucrative contract, or work days on contract, down the line).
Until the PA position is unionized, the union really has no control over this in a way I would like.
It does seem very odd to me, an Union SM can't do a non-union tour, but we can take a non-union PA position.
My humble opinion.