Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association

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ATAEA
Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association
Merged into Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance
Founded1910
Dissolved1993
Location
Members
13,700 (1991) [1]
Affiliations ACTU, ALP

The Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association was an Australian trade union which existed between 1910 and 1993. [2] It represented a wide range of workers employed in the entertainment industry in Australia.

Contents

Coverage

The ATAEA represented employees in a diverse range of non-performing occupations in the entertainment industry. These included film projectionists, ushers, ticket sellers, film crew, stagehands, racecourse, sports ground and amusement park staff. [1]

Formation

While a state-based union may have existed in Victoria during the late 19th century, the union first achieved federal registration in 1910 as the Australian Federated Stage Employees' Association. [2] The union underwent several name changes before finally settling on its final title in 1915. [2] The ATAEA originally only represented stagehands, but over time, and with technological change, it widened its membership base to cover much of the entertainment industry in Australia. [1]

Amalgamation

Due to the difficulties of servicing a widely-spread membership, and following ACTU policy of the time, the ATAEA began seeking an amalgamation of unions representing the entertainment and media industry in Australia during the early 1990s. [1] This decision, however, along with political and generational differences, caused division between the national office of the union and the Queensland branch. [1] This animosity developed until the Queensland branch split away from the federal union in 1991, and later merged with the Australian Workers' Union in Queensland. [1] The rest of the union merged with the Australian Journalists' Association and Actors' Equity in 1993 to form the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA). [2] The ATAEA continues to exist as a distinct section within the MEAA, and had 3045 members as of 2011. [3]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Michelson, Grant (1999). "Breakaway union: a study of the Australian entertainment industry". Economic and Labour Relations Review. 10 (1): 126–148. doi:10.1177/103530469901000108. S2CID   154834116 . Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Bruce A. Smith. "Australian Trade Union Archives". Trade Union Entry:Australian Theatrical & Amusement Employees Association. Australian Trade Union Archives. Retrieved 19 November 2011.
  3. "Capacity Building". 2010-11 Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance Annual Report. Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance: 17. 2011. Retrieved 19 November 2011.