Author Topic: AEA Question  (Read 3606 times)

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MatthewShiner

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AEA Question
« on: Jul 21, 2009, 02:15 pm »
FYI . . . I have already called my business rep on this, but I am interested in knowing if any other people have run across this situation, and their response.  All of this is sort of hypothetical.

A show is required to have 2 AEA SMs on contract (SM, ASM)

ASM has a family emergency and goes away for four days, and is sub-ed out, not by an AEA ASM, but an a PA type.

Theatre wants to deduct four days pay, and use vacation time in it's place.

I think that's a foul, because there needs to be two AEA contracts going, Theatre thinks it is covered under the non-paid leave portion of the contract.  I feel like they chose to save money by having a PA cover the track, as opposed to the hiring a emergency cover for a week-minimum.  I don't think they can have it both ways.

Just wondering other people's thoughts . . . I already know the ruling, but would like to know if any other people have run across this in their career.  I am desperately trying to find different ways of looking at this, as truly I see it as just keeping two people on contract per the minimums in the book and the theatre is looking at is as personal time away issue. 

(This is a hypothetical argument, because, in this situation, there was another show running, and four SMs are on contract . . . so, the minimum number of contracts were being filled . . . but for the sake of this discussion, lets assume this show is running on it's own.)
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MarcieA

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Re: AEA Question
« Reply #1 on: Jul 21, 2009, 03:49 pm »
I think I agree with your foul call. If the agreement stipulates a 2-SM contract, then and emergency cover should have been called in.

The only stipulation I could see would be if the PA was already working on the show, and permission from Equity was given to have that PA cover the ASM's track for those performances. Since the theatre made the decision to do this, I don't think that counts.
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VSM

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Re: AEA Question
« Reply #2 on: Jul 22, 2009, 02:01 am »
I agree with the call of "foul."
If it is one performance, or even two, then I would consider a little wiggle room...
But AEA's past practices in other areas is more than 3 days equals a week. Should have been a one week contract.

Can you let us know what the Rep ruled?
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Sarah

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Re: AEA Question
« Reply #3 on: Jul 22, 2009, 03:34 am »
But were the minimum contracts being fulfiled per show? If you're a B theatre, aren't you required one ASM *per show*? Are your SM's ASMing for each other? What about the one-week contract clause?

MatthewShiner

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Re: AEA Question
« Reply #4 on: Jul 22, 2009, 05:30 am »
We had two SM's on contract, and 2 ASMs on contract - we were covered.

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

 

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