CEO of Equity Salary $400,000 while 99% of actors equity now unemployed

And you learned this where?

Thank you!

Kad said: "If you’re a member of the union, then you are also aware that the union has furloughed and laid off a substantial number of employees and McColl, who makes about $390k, which is typical for the executive director of a union of AEA’s size, has taken a pay cut."

Thank you, Kad, for this reminder. A lot of employees of the union are out of work too - when the union doesn't work, neither do they. I find it so ridiculous how many people think that AEA wants things to stay shut down when an extended shutdown impacts not only its members but its employees. The point is making is safe for everyone to return to work - one of the reasons the union exists in the first place.

Call_me_jorge said: "I’m actually surprised the president and other elected positions don’t get a salary.
Also, how does the job of the CEO differ from the president? I take it the CEO makes more financial decisions within the organization and the president is the main one negotiating contracts of the members?"

A lot of people are surprised when they learn how unions actually operate- and not just actually operate, but how they legally must operate. Whenever I see question like "why doesn't Equity just do X?", the answer is usually "They legally cannot do that."

Labor law in this country is designed to make it harder for unions to operate, plain and simple, under the guise of preventing corruption. Make no mistake- corruption in unions was a big problem in the early and mid-century. But what resulted was a series of byzantine laws that make it harder for unions to do things.

Equity, like most American labor unions, has two sets of people operating it: members like Kate Shindle and the rest of the Equity councilors and committee members who are elected by the membership, and the full-time staff like Mary McColl, who are hired by the staff (executives require input from the elected members, like how Cabinet officials are approved by the Senate). The elected members are the ones who make policy, approve budgets, and so on. Staff carry out and enforce those policies. It's a Legislative and Executive branch, sort of, and Kate Shindle is basically head of the Legislative branch representing the membership, Mary McColl is the head of the Executive branch and she leads the staff and the operations of the union as an institution. Contract negotiations are handled by a mix of staff and membership, a mix of institutional and operational knowledge and policy demands that represent the members.

Labor law requires a lot of things. Elected officials can't draw a salary from the union and aren't employees, due to the risk of conflict of interest. Staff likewise can't be active members of the union or serve in elected positions, also due to the conflict of interest. Conflict of interest is a major concern in labor law; even the appearance of it could result in action from the Department of Labor, particularly under an administration that is not labor friendly.

Updated On: 7/10/20 at 01:02 PM

Bettyboy72 said: "And I can guarantee you that at this present moment in history she is probably underpaid. She has a huge task laid at her feet to work out with less staff than usual. People’s lives are in her hands."

Nonprofit companies executives are working their butts off to get the PPP money and other grants and loans available from the government to keep people getting paid and the lights on.

theatrepersonNYC said: "Nonsense. The CEO's and Executive Directors are asking their staff, many of whom have had pay cuts, or have been forced to take furloughs, to process those loans. The executive team may sign the documents, but they're not doing any of the actual work.

But hey, that's America. Why should a pandemic make a difference?"

Here's a hint: when you have no idea what you are talking about, resist posting. (Thanks, though, for the word of warning at the beginning of your post. It was pretty apt.)