Council Connect - December 2020

December 30, 2020

Hello!

We’re reaching the end of the calendar year. While the end of one year and the beginning of another may seem in some ways like an arbitrary signpost, I think many of us can agree that looking ahead to the new year is preferable to looking back at 2020. Hope lives in the future. As artists working in live performance, we know this. Most stories have some measure of hope inside them, and that’s what keeps audiences coming back to theatres. And that’s what I’ll be thinking about as I turn that December page.

But as we approach the end of 2020, I’d like to offer a brief look back at some events and activity the Association has undertaken in this unusual and demanding year. The national Council and Equity staff have been working hard together this year to keep the ship moving forward as best we can. Despite so many challenges to the well-being of our community, I am hopeful that Equity will continue to provide the services and support that help keep our membership strong together.

Here are a few 2020 highlights. I hope you find them uplifting.

The launch of HAVEN Helpline, the Harassment, Anti-racism, Violence Emergency Network, a bilingual 24/7 reporting helpline for Equity members and non-members to report abuse of power, bullying, and discrimination. This service supplies our members with a toll-free helpline they can call for immediate advice and assistance when needed. You can learn more about this fully confidential service here.

Access to LifeWorks, the new self-directed platform from HR specialists Morneau Shepell is available for members in good standing, offering confidential support for your life, health, family, work and money. Learn more here.

The national Council, upon recommendation from our Disciplinary and Complaints Task Force, has restructured Equity’s formal Complaints Process, making it a more accountable and responsive system that we hope will efficiently address the needs of members filing a complaint regarding workplace harassment or discrimination. The complaints process is outlined in Equity’s Bylaw Articles 34 to 81. This same Task Force has also published a comprehensive Complaint & Discipline Process Guide created to help an Artist navigate the formal complaint process.

On June 9, 2020, Council resolved to undertake actions in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the needs of our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) members, addressing inequities within our collective workspaces. You can read about those actions here.

At the time of writing, the report on last year’s Mental Health and Wellness Survey is about to be released to the membership. This survey, sent to members in late 2019, has gathered important data for Equity to consider as we seek ways to improve working environments for our members and add features to our insurance plan. While the pandemic may have changed some priorities in survey responses there is still much information to consider in this informative report. Check your inbox for an Equiflash notice including a link to the report.

We’ve held two National AGMs online, which for the first time allowed members from across the country to attend, ask questions, and even electronically vote on motions. We also held ten online member information meetings this year, all of which had inspiring attendance numbers! Links to meetings about Intimacy Direction, Anti-Oppression Training, Staying Warm - A Guide to Allyship in Action, Money Matters, Mental Health & Wellness and more can be found on www.caea.com. The advent of Zoom has heralded a big upswing in our direct contact with members and created a new way for our national community to connect.

The Senior Artist Support Task Force has been analyzing the results of 2018’s survey to our senior members and collaborating with Equity staff to address the expressed needs of that sector of our membership. Those needs included:

Support for continued creativity as members age;
Flexibility in contracting to address diminishing work opportunities for older members;
Options for job-sharing and flexible workload models; and
Information resources geared toward our senior membership. The Task Force will be delivering detailed proposals to Council in 2021 to address these issues, which are important to this vital sector of our membership. Our senior members carry valuable legacies that benefit our entire community. Their voices are important, and they should be supported.

A few other announcements:

Financial update – Our staff continue to seek new ways to reduce expenses in this low revenue environment. Reducing staff hours and digitizing some systems (such as the most recent dues billing) have helped to lower costs and preserve core services to members.
The Future of the Western Office – I recently attended a meeting regarding the possibility of closing our physical space here in Vancouver. As explained at the October NAGM, Equity's finances are so devastated that we must continue to find ways to reduce expenses. The proposal would ensure that our dedicated Western Office staff continue to deliver their excellent service, as they have been during this pandemic. This is not an ideal choice, and one that saddens me as a BC resident, but I believe it is fiscally prudent to consider this option in these challenging times. I want to thank all my western region colleagues for participating in the open, passionate and difficult (at times) discussion. More news on this item in the New Year.
Everybody Counts – We are continuing to gather important statistical data on our membership. This is an important information tool for Equity - Data is politics! If you have joined Equity in the last few years, please check that you have filled out your Everybody Counts.
Intimacy Directors – At our most recent Council meeting, we welcomed the discipline of Intimacy Directors into our jurisdiction. I am incredibly thrilled that we are expanding our membership at a time when our community is struggling in so many other ways. The passionate group of professionals who work on scenes involving intimacy, nudity and sexual content, will be of tremendous value to the Association's future.

Many thanks….

To all those who took part in the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) Letter-writing campaign! Your individual efforts added value to the advocacy work of our staff to ensure that our members were able to be included in that vital support benefit.
To all Council & Committee members - Many committees have been going full speed this year and are to be congratulated for their commitment and hard work. Council has also continued to keep its regular schedule of meetings and add a few special ones in too, when needed. The teamwork has been impressive!
Special thanks to our Canadian Theatre Agreement Negotiating Team, especially the informed members who gave their time and expertise to a long and challenging process. Their efforts have successfully resulted in a brand-new agreement with our colleagues at the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres.
To our staff - who continue to strive and innovate to keep Equity moving forward in these difficult circumstances. Equity is funded almost completely through member dues payments, and with an 85% reduction in revenues this year, their dedication and creativity has been essential to preserving our Association.
And finally, to you, the members! To those who were able to pay their dues in November, you have our gratitude. If you were unable to support Equity this time around, that’s okay. We hope you’ll be in a position to support us in May or sometime down the road. But either way, Equity members continue to inspire the national Council to work for the betterment of this community.

That’s a long list; thanks for hanging in there. These are difficult times, and I appreciate your attention. As we round the corner of 2020 and leap ahead into 2021, I offer my hopes that you and your loved ones remain safe and well. As this great pause continues, I remain hopeful for great acts to come.

Yours in solidarity,

Scott Bellis

Council President

#EquityStrong