MEAA’s Federal Council meeting Feb 23-24

MEAA’s Federal Council, which is the key decision-making body of the union, will hold its biennial face-to-face meeting in Sydney on Friday February 23 and Saturday February 24.

The council is made up of 94 MEAA members from across the country and across every section of the union. They are elected by MEAA members every two years. The council’s members also form the industry-specific MEAA national section committees that meet and communicate regularly to address issues, endorse strategies and actions, and share knowledge.

MEAA members also elect MEAA’s key office holders – the presidents and vice-presidents of each section – who help form the MEAA Board that oversees the administration of MEAA.

MEAA is structured on both sectional (industry/professional) lines as well as branch/regional (geographical) lines.

Member representatives are elected to our governing bodies as representatives of sections and branches as well as on a national basis to federal offices. The governing bodies are:
• Federal Council
• MEAA Board
• National Section Committees
• Branch councils

Most of MEAA’s work is done within the major sections of the union – Media; Equity; Entertainment, Crew & Sport; and Musicians.

The section committees play the central role in engaging active members in governance of the union. This is where MEAA members come together to make the decisions on matters that actually affect them.

The day before the Federal Council meeting, each section hold its national section committee meeting:
• Media – National Media Section Committee.
• Equity – National Performers Committee.
• NZ Equity – Equity New Zealand Board.
• Entertainment, Crew and Sport – ECS National Committee.
• Musicians – For symphony orchestra members, through the SOMA Executive Committee; for other musician members, through the ECS National Committee.

When Federal Council meets this year it will hear reports on the activities of each of the sections, as well as reports from the MEAA president and chief executive, and a report on MEAA’s finances.

This year, there will also be an address by ACTU secretary Sally McManus, and council will also hear from Kate Delaney of Reconciliation Australia.