Actors’ Equity Seeks To Change Name To Reflect Its Full Membership

Actors’ Equity Association is looking to change its name to be more reflective of its entire membership.

Founded in 1913, the 51,000-member union represents not only actors and stage managers who work in live theater but recently has organized strip club dancers, planetarium lecturers and others who work in live arts and entertainment.

The union said today that it is now accepting proposals “to guide stakeholders through a process of determining a potential new name for the union, as well as for implementing a possible name change and rebranding.”

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According to the union, a “chosen vendor will work with Equity member-leaders and staff in two phases. In the first phase of work, agency will advise the Change The Name Working Group in assessing name-change readiness, conducting market and stakeholder research, developing new name options and choosing a new name, while managing communications with members and the broader industry about the process. In phase two, should the union decide to move forward with a new name, the agency will assist in developing brand assets related to the new name, including but not limited to a new logo and/or logotype, tagline, visual identity etc.”

The deadline for questions is March 1, and responses are due March 15, with an award expected by the end of April. Project work will be expected to begin in May and continue into 2024. The request for proposal is open to all firms. Read the full RFP here.

The process of changing its name began with a resolution passed at Equity’s 2021 Convention, but is rooted in the union’s history. Here’s the background:

“To understand the desire for a new name and identity for the union, it’s important to understand a bit of Equity’s history, which stretches back to the union’s founding in 1913,” the union said. “Actors’ Equity Association was formally recognized by the American Federation of Labor (later to become the AFL-CIO) in 1919, as Equity embarked on its historic first strike.

“This was the first strike in the history of the American theatre, demanding recognition as the performers’ representative and bargaining agent. The strike lasted 30 days, spread to eight cities, closed 37 plays, prevented the opening of 16 others and cost millions of dollars. Chorus performers joined in the fight along with the actors. Five days after the strike began, Chorus Equity Association was formed.

“In the early days of theatre in America, the functions that today’s stage managers serve were often taken on by actors. But by 1920, stage managing was recognized as a distinct job category in Equity contracts, and stage managers have been valued members of Actors’ Equity Association ever since.

“Actors’ Equity and Chorus Equity merged in 1955. Today, Equity is structured around three primary job categories: principal actors, chorus actors and stage managers. However, only two of those categories are represented in the name Actors’ Equity Association.

“Following years of organizing within the stage management community, Equity’s inaugural convention in 2021 passed a resolution entitled “In Solidarity, Change the Name of Our Union.” That resolution stated:

WHEREAS Actors’ Equity Association is a union representing tens of thousands of Stage Managers and Actors nationwide; and

WHEREAS the current name of our union, Actors’ Equity Association, excludes a portion of our membership, specifically Stage Managers; and

WHEREAS the current name perpetuates a broad misunderstanding that Stage Managers are not members of our union; and

WHEREAS Stage Managers pay the same dues as actors, but are still often referred to as Capital A “Actors” in contract language; and

WHEREAS the UNION will have flexibility for future growth under their jurisdiction, and most importantly will include ALL of its current dues-paying membership; and,

WHEREAS employers maintain power by dividing workers, and we are strongest as a union when we actively engage our complete solidarity to regain our power as unified workers; and

WHEREAS Stage Managers have always been members of Actors’ Equity Association; and

WHEREAS we have waited 108 years;

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED Convention believes the name of our union should be changed; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Union will stand by its mission of solidarity and support a name change to be inclusive of all of its members; and,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED Convention recommends that within three years of the conclusion of the 2021 convention, the National Council put forth a complete plan to facilitate this name change

That resolution was subsequently affirmed by Equity’s Council in June, 2021, with the following policy:

RESOLVED to unanimously approve the recommendation of the Executive Committee re: Convention Resolution 3-02 Solidarity, Change the Name of Our Union:

RESOLVED that the name of our union should be changed; and,

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Union will stand by its mission of solidarity and support a name change to be inclusive of all of its members; and,

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED that within three years of the conclusion of the 2021 convention, the National Council put forth a complete plan to facilitate this name change, and that a working group be created to begin this process.

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