Actors' Equity Association Executive Director Issues Statement on Lawsuit Favoring Union's Policy on Wages at L.A. Theatres

A federal judge has dismissed the Asner vs. Equity Lawsuit favoring the union's policy on wages at L.A. theaters. Actors' Equity Association Executive Director, Mary McColl, has issued a statement on the ruling. See the full statement below:

"Judge Terry J. Hatter Jr. has dismissed the Asner vs. Actors' Equity lawsuit. The Judge's ruling reflects the care taken by the union to follow the appropriate procedural steps outlined in the 1989 Settlement Agreement. The dismissal of this lawsuit, which we had always viewed as a frivolous and costly legal matter, is a victory for our union.

Not everyone in our union agreed with changes in policy that our Council put in place in April of 2015. We understand those opposing views, however, many of our members needed more than the nominal performance stipends, which had been the longtime practice. These are not unpaid internships - this is work.

Now that this matter has been addressed internally and validated by a federal court ruling, we can devote our energies to working with Los Angeles' theatre producers to help them find the best ways to employ our members."