[e-drive][EQUIFLASH: NATIONAL ELECTIONS, CALL FOR NOMINATIONS]

[Kevin Patrick Robbins]

www.caea.com

CANADIAN ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION
Elections for Council and Advisory Committees

As an elected representative you will contribute to Equity's policies,
financial management and membership services development. To discuss
running for election, call one of your regional nominating committee
representatives before April 14.

Nominating committee contact information can be found in the latest
issue of the Equity News, now available from our Web site at
http://www.caea.com/newsletter/200304-april-newsletter.pdf



THINKING OF RUNNING FOR ELECTION?
The following text is abridged from Equity's complete document on
running for association elections, which can be found at the
association's Web site at
http://www.caea.com/council/candidate_information.pdf

If you consider running for election, please download and read the
complete document. Also, a nomination form is available online at
http://www.caea.com/council/nomination_form.pdf

In order to view and print these files, you will need the free Adobe
Acrobat Reader, which is available from the Adobe Web site at
http://www.adobe/products/acrobat/readstep2.html



THE BASICS
Equity members as a collective determine the policies of Equity. Members
express their views to their elected representatives -- either those on
their advisory committee, sub-committees, or to their councillor -- who
in turn set Equity's policies. Equity has divided its members into 13
Regions:

Members involved in theatre (9):
1 -- BC and the Yukon
2 -- Alberta North (north of Red Deer) and NWT
3 -- Alberta South (south and including Red Deer)
4 -- Saskatchewan
5 -- Manitoba
6 -- Ontario (west of Hwy. 41)
7 -- Eastern Ontario and the Outaouais
8 -- Quebec (except Outaouais)
9 -- Atlantic Region

Members involved in opera (2):
10 -- Western Opera (B.C. and Alberta)
11 -- Eastern Opera (Saskatchewan and eastward)

Members involved in dance (2):
12 -- Western Dance (Manitoba and westward)
13 -- Eastern Dance (Ontario and eastward)

Members in each region elect their own advisory committee, one
representative on each of the stage management and directors and
choreographers committees, and one or more councillors to represent them
at national council. Every councillor is an important part of the
advisory committee for the region they represent.



THE ELECTION PROCESS
Ballots are mailed out by the end of Sept. 2003 to all Equity members in
good standing. Members cast their ballots and ensure that they arrive in
Equity's national office in Toronto before Oct. 31.

The ballots are counted soon after and all candidates are notified of
the results. Successful candidates for council assume office Dec. 7 and
successful candidates for advisory committees and elected sub-committees
assume office at the first meeting in November or December.



RUNNING FOR ELECTION
Once you know what's involved and have decided to run for election, you
need to submit a nomination in writing. The deadline to submit your
nomination to your nominating committee is March 31. It is the regional
nominating committee's duty to ensure that there are enough candidates
running, and the more lead time you give them, the better.

Your nominating committee will collect all nominations and submit them
to Equity's executive director before April 14. The list of all
candidates will be published in the June newsletter, along with the time
and place of each region's election meeting and a call for nominations
by petition. A nomination for petition needs to be signed by five
members in good standing, as well as the person being nominated and be
submitted no later than July 14.

You will have until July 14 to write and submit an election statement, a
maximum of 250 words that will be published in the September newsletter,
in electronic AND hard copy format to:

Kevin Patrick Robbins
Communications Director
Canadian Actors' Equity Association
44 Victoria Street, 12th Floor
Toronto, ON  M5C 3C4
kprobbins at caea.com

In September, each region will hold an election meeting at which you may
present yourself. If you are unable to attend, your election statement
will be read on your behalf.



ADVISORY COMMITTEES
To be able to set policies, Equity needs to know the opinions of its
members. Advisory committees listen to and represent members in each
region -- the people who best understand local conditions. These
committees have no formal powers under Equity's Constitution and
By-Laws, but they are an important link to Equity members.

Typically, an advisory committee meets once per month to discuss issues
of importance in their region, or issues on which council has asked for
advice. Also, advisory committees consider requests from engagers in
their region for concessions to an Equity agreement and provide a
recommendation to the national executive committee. An advisory may be
asked to form disciplinary committees to investigate members who have
failed to respect the conditions under which we have agreed to work.

In addition, the advisory committee makes the final decision on Equity
Co-op and Indie applications. A group of members may apply to work
without reference to an Equity contract, provided that this group has
entered into a written agreement to co-operatively produce. The
Independent Artists Policy (the "Indie") is a set of conditions
developed by Equity for members to address the needs of the independent
artist producing theatre companies. Since advisory committee members
often know the people involved and the conditions under which the Co-op
or Indie production is proposing to work, the advisory has the sole
authority to decide whether those members can produce a "Co-op" or an
"Indie."

Advisory committees may also take on projects of their own. Organizing
fundraisers for Equity Fights AIDS, producing a regional newsletter, or
political actions are examples of how a committee identifies needs in
the local community. Advisories often form sub-committees to tackle
regional issues.

Equity elections take place every three years; the next advisory
committee will do its work from November 2003 until November 2006. Each
advisor is expected to contribute to the committee's work. Attending
meetings is part of this commitment. An advisor who misses three
consecutive meetings without providing any explanation may be asked to
leave the committee. Also, members of every advisory committee must
continue to be members in good standing.



COUNCIL
Council, made up of 38 members from across Canada, is Equity's elected
governing body. Armed with the wishes of the members, either culled
individually or distilled through the work of the advisory committee,
council makes policy decisions, which affect Equity members across the
country. These include standards of conduct for Equity members,
approving the budget, keeping a watchful eye on Equity's RRSP funds,
forming negotiating committees and approving collective agreements,
maintaining relations with sister organizations like Actors' Equity in
the US or ACTRA, membership education initiatives, professional
development projects, and much more.

Council meets in Toronto three times per year, usually on the last
Sunday, Monday and Tuesday of February, June and October. There will a
special council meeting Dec. 7-9 to introduce the new council to the
work and workings of Equity.

The next council meeting after that will happen in March 2004, at which
time the new council will approve its first budget. Then meetings will
take place at their normal times until October 2006 when the council
will meet for the last time before the 2006 elections. Special meetings
of council via conference call may occur to address issues of the utmost
importance, such as negotiations for the Canadian Theatre Agreement.

Council meetings usually consists of reports from the president, the
executive director, the treasurer, each region, working sub-committees,
the RRSP funds' manager, the insurance agents and more. There are
usually a number of policy issues to discuss, updates on agreement
negotiations, and perhaps, an important guest or two. To attend council,
Equity covers the cost for councillors' travel, accommodation and per
diem.

A councillor must be a member in good standing. Council is elected for a
three-year term from December 2003 until December 2006, with 10 council
meetings during that time. If a councillor cannot attend a council
meeting, the councillor may appoint a member of their region's advisory
committee to attend instead. An alternate who has been elected has the
same rights and responsibilities as a councillor would normally have.

Equity also expects that each elected councillor will:

1 -- Have worked in Equity's jurisdiction at least once during the
previous five years and/or be actively involved in the live performing
arts community.

2 -- Understand the aims, objectives, long-term goals, policies,
programmes and needs of Equity.

3 -- Become familiar with the Constitution, By-Laws and reciprocal
agreements of Equity, as well as any Equity collective agreements
appropriate to his/her discipline.

4 -- Become familiar with the general functions and responsibilities of
Equity staff and council.

5 -- Act as an advocate of Equity to enhance the image and profile of
Equity within the community.

6 -- Make every effort to communicate with members of the advisory
committee and members at large so that they can provide council with an
informed opinion of members' concerns and attitudes, and keep members
informed about initiatives of council.

Between council meetings, councillors put their work into the hands of
officers and the executive committee. At the first meeting of each new
council, an election is held first for the officers in order, then the
executive committee. The people who fill these positions must be any one
of the 38 councillors.

Not only is there a substantial time commitment, but every elected
representative should expect to read and learn more about Equity and our
industry. Council gets a package preceding each council meeting, and
advisory committees get material regularly from the Equity offices.

The benefit is a greater understanding of the issues we face. The
responsibility is to keep as up-to-date as possible, and pass this
information along to the membership.

Your role as an Equity councillor or advisory committee member is vital
to the success of our association. We hope you will step forward and
declare yourself for nomination.