LA LOVE 99 SEAT THEATRE vs LA ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION

LA LOVE 99 SEAT THEATRE vs LA ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION – my thoughts The actors and stage-managers’ union met yesterday. The union members present voted overwhelmingly not to support LA AEA UNION’s plan to implement minimum wage contracts in 99 seat theatres. In short, union members voted to continue working for nothing. LA Actors and Stage Managers LOVE working for NOTHING! On the whole AEA members are some of the brightest people working in this business; but when we’re dumb we are really dumb. I gotta give it to LOVE 99/AEA members for laying down the best cajoling line of bullshit I’ve heard in a long time – it was most effective on the soft hearted/brains of most union members in the room. Love 99 has forced LA EQUITY and Equity NATIONAL to set aside implementation and enter discussions as to what will be implemented and when, if ever, that implementation will take place. LA AEA members who bought what LOVE 99 is selling are completely ignoring the national trend of business and government, owners/managers, to gut the effectiveness of unions to protect the best interest of their members. Love 99 members want the union but only on their terms.