The Alliance is the union and professional organisation which covers everyone in the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries.
What is the Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance?
The Alliance is the union and professional organisation which covers everyone in the media, entertainment, sports and arts industries. Our 22,000 members include people working in TV, radio, theatre & film, entertainment venues, recreation grounds, journalists, actors, dancers, sportspeople, cartoonists, photographers, orchestral & opera performers as well as people working in public relations, advertising, book publishing & website production ...in fact everyone who works in the industries that inform or entertain Australians.
The Alliance was created in 1992 through the merging of the unions covering actors, journalists and entertainment industry employees:
- Actors Equity (AE)
- The Australian Journalists Association (AJA)
- The Australian Theatrical & Amusement Employees Association (ATAEA)
Since amalgamation, the Symphony Orchestra Musicians Association (SOMA) & the NSW Artworkers Union have joined the Alliance, a Professional Sports Branch has been created & the Screen Technicians Association of Australia (STAA) reconstituted itself under the Alliance banner.
The AJA
The Australian Journalists' Association (AJA) was formed in 1910 and registered federally in 1911. This union served its members until 1991 when it amalgamated with the Australian Commercial & Industrial Artists' Association to form a new reregistered Australian Journalists’ Association. Between 1992 and 1993 the AJA amalgamated with the Australian Theatrical and Amusement Employees' Association and the Actors' Equity of Australia to form the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance in 1993.
Join the Alliance
To become a member or find out more, email members@alliance.org.au or call 1300 65 65 13
What does the Alliance provide?
The Alliance can help freelance members with contractual and legal advice. The Alliance also sets recommended minimum freelance rates for journalists, photographers and artists.
As an Alliance member you can expect:
- Access to the Alliance Freelance Register
- Weekly email bulletin on media industry news and campaigns. Email members@alliance.org.au to register for the bulletin.
- Free legal and contractual advice on employment matters from in-house lawyers.
- Generous discounts at leading industry related retailers and service providers.
- Support from your Alliance colleagues should you face victimisation.
- Promotion of improved professional and ethical standards.
- Technological changes monitored to ensure members’ health and safety is protected.
- Equal opportunity for Alliance members enshrined in policy and actively pursued and affirmative - action principles in the Alliance’s official rules.
Core Union Services
- Legal advice on employment issues.
- Legal advice on workers’ compensation claims.
- Legal support and representation in cases about work issues.
- Lobbying for professional issues.
- Workers’ Compensation advice.
- Debt Recovery Service.
- Advice on social security and taxation.
- Advice on superannuation.
- Advice and representation in discrimination cases, unfair dismissals or work place difficulties.
- Research and lobbying for womens’ issues in the entertainment and media industries.
- Professional development and seminars.
- The annual Walkley Awards for Excellence in Journalism.
and the Alliance also…
- Protects members’ copyright and administers and monitors members’ residual payments.
- Issues national and international Media Passes (for eligible members).
- Regulates the professional standards of journalists through the Journalists’ Code of Ethics.
- Promotes ongoing professional training.
- Is pivotal to the creation of industry safety codes.
- Provides regular training for members on a range of professional and industrial issues.
- Publishes the Walkley Magazine six times per year
