MEAA hits new high with Strangerland deal

MEAA has negotiated a landmark new deal for the crew working on upcoming Australian feature film Strangerland.

Malcolm Tulloch, director of the Entertainment Crew and Sport section of the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance says the agreement will set a precedent within the Australian film industry.

“The agreement is a major win for Australian film crew. We are providing them with certainty that their conditions will be protected before they set foot on set.” says Tulloch.

The industrial agreement, known a “Greenfield Agreement”, allows Strangerland producers to lock in conditions up front without having to go through a more complicated enterprise bargaining process. This is a result of producers voluntarily registering an industrial agreement with the union prior to hiring any employees. The agreement protects key industry standards on conditions like overtime, night loadings, and travel.

“We’re confident it sets a benchmark for minimum conditions for Australian films,” says Tulloch.

This new deal has almost identical conditions to those gained by MEAA on another bigger budget Australian film, The Water Diviner, late last year (currently shooting in South Australia, directed by Russell Crowe).

Strangerland, a mystery drama about a relationship stretched to the limit after their children disappear in the arid Australian desert, is to be directed Kim Farrant.