At the eleventh hour SPADA has cancelled a meeting to discuss an industry-wide contract for performers in the local screen industry. Click below for SPADA’s letter to agents and casting directors, and Equity’s reply.

From: Frances Walsh
Sent: Wednesday, May 13, 2009 5:06 PM
To: 'Penelope Borland'
Subject: Update on SPADA's cancellation of meeting with Equity
 
Dear Penelope,
 
We are deeply concerned that you have chosen to send the communication below into the public domain. It misrepresents what has occurred and does nothing to advance a constructive course of action.
 
Equity approached SPADA in February for a negotiation of an industry-wide agreement, after producers objected to entering discussions with us for a standard contract on individual productions, insisting that any negotiation for a standard contract needed to occur through SPADA at an industry-wide level. SPADA’s reply to our approach was an offer to renegotiate The Pink Book, a set of unenforceable guidelines, which are frequently ignored.
 
In April you emailed us: “We believe that [it] is in all parties best interests that we meet. We believe this initial meeting should have no fixed agenda from either party, i.e. from SPADA or from NZ Equity. The purpose being to clear the air and some misconceptions and formulate a plan for moving forward in a constructive and reasonable manner.” The meeting you now proposed clearly allowed for an exploratory discussion of an industry-wide agreement, beyond your initial stipulation that only The Pink Book be discussed, and under those terms Equity suggested possible dates, and the 5th of May was settled upon.
 
The day before that meeting you cancelled it, writing, “We are not prepared to meet with an agenda of discussing how to proceed with an industry-wide agreement.” We were quite clear in previous correspondence that this was an exploratory meeting. An exploratory meeting is just that – and one that would have allowed you to bring to the table the renegotiation of The Pink Book, and Equity to bring to the table an industry-wide agreement. It was our understanding that this meeting was one in which both parties were accorded the same respect, and level of engagement.
 
Your cancellation is both disappointing and baffling to us. There seems to be a reluctance from SPADA to move ahead with discussions – made apparent by your use of any precept to defer and delay a meeting. This doesn’t augur well for any future discussion about the engagement of performers in the local screen industry, nor does it accord performers any respect.
 
We remain interested in talks with you, but in the first instance we need to consult performers as to how to proceed. We also note that we would prefer that this matter is not played out in the public domain. It is our hope that we will be able to sit down and work through ways in which the wishes of performers and the needs of producers be met, without point scoring. However, since you have communicated to agents and casting directors regarding your cancellation of May the 5th’s meeting, it is beholden on Equity to set the record straight.
 
Kind Regards
 
 
Frances
 
 
Frances Walsh
Industrial Organiser
NZ Actors' Equity

From: "Penelope Borland" < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Date: 5 May 2009 5:06:04 PM
To: "Penelope Borland" < This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it >
Subject: Update on Meeting with MEAA
 
 
Dear Agent and Casting Director,
 
You may be aware that today's meeting between SPADA and MEAA is not going ahead.
 
Some background may help you.
 
We have always been prepared to meet on the basis of no fixed agenda, but a wide ranging discussion during which each side would no doubt bring concerns and proposals to the table.
 
MEAA has sent a number of emails over the last couple of months insisting that the sole purpose of the meeting was "to negotiate an industry wide agreement, including a binding agreement with conditions of employment no less favourable than those enjoyed by their cohorts in Australia and rates of pays and residuals based on the New Zealand market".
 
SPADA consistently pointed out that this predetermination of outcome was not acceptable for an industrial negotiation, let alone the first meeting between the parties since the Pink Book negotiations of July 2005.
 
Eventually in an email of 9 April MEAA removed this predetermination, and agreed that "the meeting would have no fixed agenda from either party... formulate a plan to move forward in a constructive and reasonable manner".  That meeting was set for today.
 
Then, at the last minute as part of an ongoing discussion about the attendance of the actors agent's representatives (which SPADA was in favour of and MEAA against), MEAA reverted to their previous "agenda" stating that "since this was a meeting to discuss the industry wide agreement between the union and SPADA - it was unnecessary to invite the agents".
 
This insistence on a predetermined agenda completely flies in the face of the finally agreed procedure after months of to-ing and fro-ing.
 
We are not prepared to meet under the predetermined industrial approach being taken by MEAA. And we are becoming concerned about the shifting sands of the MEAA approach.
  
SPADA is prepared to meet under the arrangements finalised in April. We would prefer the agents to attend but this is not a deal breaker for the first meeting.
 
 
Kind regards
 
Penelope
 
 
Penelope Borland
 
Chief Executive
 
Screen Production & Development Assn (SPADA)