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His
May 1913: A group of actors in New York draft a constitution for the first Actors’ Equity Association (AEA).
1919: Canadian actor Marie Dressler leads a 30-day strike in New York. The first Equity in North America is formed shortly thereafter.
July 13, 1953: The Stratford Festival launches its first six-week season, opening with Richard III on a thrust stage in a tent.
1954: Canadian Council of Authors and Artists (CCAA), the national umbrella organization for ACTRA, is approached by Stratford actors for bargaining representation. A meeting is held in Montreal between Neil LeRoy, CCAA President and representatives from AEA. Stratford actors begin to work under AEA contracts administered by the CCAA.
Feb. 13, 1955: First membership meeting of AEA is held in Canada. Attendance includes: Canadian representative Dennis Sweeting, Paul Jones of AEA, Neil LeRoy and Bernard Cowan of CCAA.
March 20, 1955: First Canadian Equity Advisory Committee (CEAC) is elected: Lloyd Bochner, Douglas Campbell, Robert Christie, David Gardner, Eric House, William Hutt, Paul Kligman, Larry McCance, John Maddison, Grania Mortimer and William Needles.
April 15, 1956: The CEAC becomes the Canadian Advisory Committee (CAC).
1958: Equity opens its first office at 519 Jarvis Street, Toronto with a staff of two.
1958: Equity comes to an agreement with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) to represent artists in opera and dance in Canada.
1958: Six Equity members at Stratford each throw one dollar into a pot, thereby starting The Actors’ Fund of Canada.
1959: Equity negotiates the first contract with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet.
1960: AEA strikes and wins the right to a pension. The pension applies to Canadian members as well.
October 1962: The CAC becomes the Canadian Executive Committee (CEC).
1971: The CEC launches a survey on the direction of the Canadian arm of Equity.
November 18, 1971: The CEC discusses a controversial plan for a more comprehensive Canadian contract. Burnard Chadwick, Executive Secretary for Canada, promises to consolidate Equity rules into one book.
1972: The Canadian government calls upon Equity members to decide their tax status. Members vote by a narrow margin in favour of independent contractor status, thereby foregoing the benefits of being employees.
Early 1972: A survey shows significant interest in an independent Canadian Equity. Later that year, Chairman Dan MacDonald and AEA President Theo Bikel take the now famous “walk in the woods” at an International Federation of Actors (FIA) meeting in Stockholm, laying the groundwork for the creation of a fully independent Canadian Equity.
1973: Theatre producers form the League of Canadian Theatres (LOCT) largely to deal with Equity’s plan to present producers with a consolidated Canadian contract.
1974: The first Canadian Theatre Agreement (CTA), with 53 articles and 249 clauses, takes effect. Actor minimum fees are $110 to $180 per week depending on the company category and stage manager minimum fees are between $132 and $234 per week.
1974: Equity negotiates a first contract with the Canadian Opera Company and the National Ballet of Canada.
1975: Jane Mallett is honoured with Equity’s first Life Membership. February 1976: Equity launches its first Canadian newsletter under the direction of editor Frank Hogg.
April 1, 1976: Canadian Actors’ Equity Association is formed, transferring 2000 members from AEA. Equity adopts its constitution and bylaws outlining the objects of the Association and signs reciprocal agreements with ACTRA, AEA, AGMA and UdA.
April 1976: LOCT changes its name to the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT).
Feb 24, 1977: Equity holds its first full elections. Dan MacDonald becomes Equity’s first elected president.
June 1977: The first CTA, negotiated between Equity and PACT, takes effect. The three-year agreement introduces separate clauses for directors and choreographers.
February 19, 1979: Equity opens the western office at 111 Dunsmuir Avenue in Vancouver.
June 1981: Equity purchases its first computer system at a cost of $40,000.
April 1983: The Executive Committee link members from outside of Toronto by speakerphone.
December 1983: The Equity ‘angel’ is adopted by Council as the new logo.
April 1989: Equity establishes the professional development fund.
September 1989: Phantom of the Opera opens in Toronto and plays for 10 years becoming the longest theatrical run in Canadian history. December 14, 1993: Equity members vote 71% in favour of raising basic dues by 40% over five years and eliminating the cap on working dues by 1999.
June 1995: PACT takes Equity to the Ontario Labour Relations Board, alleging an unfair labour practice after CTA negotiations breakdown. A one-year agreement is eventually negotiated. No decision is rendered on PACT’s attempt to deem Equity a trade union and its members employees.
October 1995: Over 200 Ontario members demand changes to the Co-op Policy and a new form of contract for members who self-produce. The Indie is born.
April 25, 1996: Equity is certified by The Canadian Artists and Producers Professional Relations Tribunal (CAPPRT) to represent artists working in the federal jurisdiction capping a 25-year effort to secure Status of the Artist legislation.
December 1996: Equity’s national office moves to 44 Victoria Street.
July 1997: Artists at the National Ballet are locked out after negotiations fail to reach a new agreement. Pressure tactics eventually result in a significantly improved Agreement and a return to work.
May 1998: The first Canadian Theatre Conference sponsored by Equity, PACT, Playwrights Union of Canada and Associated Designers of Canada is held in Saskatoon.
November 1998: Livent seeks bankruptcy protection in the US and Canada. The RCMP launches an investigation into Livent’s books.
June 20, 1999: The CTA is extended for one year to allow for completion of interest based negotiations. Bargaining sessions are scheduled over the next 14 months.
October 1999: Under the aegis of the National Harassment Task Force, Equity, PACT and the AFM sign an industry-wide statement of principles.
Spring 2000: Equity launches e-drive.
March 29, 2000: Equity is certified by the Alberta Labour Board to represent the dancers of the Alberta Ballet becoming an official trade union for the first time in its history.
April 1, 2001: Canadian Actors’ Equity celebrates 25 years as an autonomous organization.
June 3, 2001: Equity celebrates its silver anniversary with 14 parties held from coast to coast.
October 17, 2001: Equity and AEA sign a pension reciprocity agreement.
March 8, 2002: Equity holds a press conference announcing a $157,200 settlement with Livent. The monies are used to settle outstanding disputes from various Livent productions.
September 2002: Insurance plan arbitration avoided; PACT and Equity negotiate resolution to address insurance plan deficit.
October 27, 2002: The inaugural presentation of Stage West—Equity Emerging Theatre Artist Award to Philip Warren Sarsons.
October 28, 2002: Council passes a motion to represent fight directors as Equity members.
July 1, 2003: The American Guild of Musical Artists rescinds the reciprocal agreement with Equity.
March 29, 2004: The Directors and Choreographers and Stage Management Committees hold first-ever face-to-face meetings during the spring Council session.
June 2004: In separate decisions, the Tax Court of Canada finds three dancers at Royal Winnipeg Ballet to be employees for tax purposes and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) rules that actors, designers and other independent contractors are employees of Magnus Theatre.
December 16, 2004: The Executive Committee determines that the Toronto production of Blue Man Group is operating within Equity’s jurisdiction and must adhere to the Independent Theatre Agreement if they wish to engage Equity members.
February 13, 2005: It is 50 years since the Canadian Advisory Committee of Equity was created.
February 28, 2005: Equity Council votes to implement Policy Governance as the Association’s new governance structure.
June 2005: The CRA reverses the Magnus Theatre decision.
October 25, 2005: Equity Council adopts policy governance and amends constitution and bylaws.
November 14, 2005: EQUITYONLINE launched.
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