The elections for the most important elections in Equity's Calendar are coming round very soon.
PLEASE show that you are concerned with the democratic process by VOTING in it!
Those who simply throw away their voting slips are allowing the opportunity to rule Equity to the 'organised minority' who only get a few votes but manage to get themselves elected by the apathy of the majority.
This is YOUR Council. They are representing YOU and are responsible for the future of the performance industry professionals.
USE you vote. Use it wisely! If you are worried that you don't know someone on the lists or are unsure of their motives remember that you do not have to fil the quota required in the sections. You don't have to put any ticks on sections you don't want to.
All of the Equity members on this site have the right to make their choices for who they want to hold one of these prestigious offices.
PLEASE MAKE IT YOUR PRIORITY.
Good luck to all the candidates.
You posted this very early as all though and nomination forms have recently gone out the closing date for nominations is the 18th of April and voting papers will not be circulated until June.
I do hope lots more Equity members will take the time to vote this time round, as in 2006 only 2,586 Equity members took the time to fill in and return the election papers, and that's was out of a membership of 36,825.
So that does make me pose the question - What would make more of our fellow Equity members vote?
I believe Tracey it could be the fact that some of the members don't know who to vote for! The list of names and statements on the voting papers must be daunting to anyone who is not totally 'in the know' about the candidates and therefore holds back from voting unless they make a terrible mistake....and vote in the 'wrong person'!!
I believe that this time there may be a way to vote online. That should improve the turnout at least one would hope. Saves you having to go out in the street to post the free paid envelope back and helps if you're saving the ink in your pen for the next application for work!!??
But it would be simpler to say that no-one has to fill in ALL of the boxes. They can just put as few or as many ticks as they are allowed to.
If you don't know anything about the Area then there is no obligation to vote for it. But please DO vote for the candidates you DO know who you believe will do a good service to you and your union. After all, you only get what you vote for. And if you don't vote then you are responsible just as much for the result...
I must confess that when I arrived in the UK just before the Equity elections of mid '06, it was a completely baffling and daunting prospect. I don't recall the Aussie union elections being quite so involved.
I did, however, plow through the seemingly endless paperwork, read up as much as I could and did post in my vote. I was one of those 2,586.
Yes your right it certainly does take some dedication to plough through all the statements of candidates for council elections. In 2006 just on the generalist 37 people stood for election in the 17 places.
I know it help that I've been to the last couple of Annual Representative Conferences so I know some of the names on the list, as I had chatted to them in the bar or seen them speak on various motions. But even then it can be hard to put a name to a face as there are no photos next to the election statements.
Have to echo Alan there (but without any spelling mistakes - lol).
You do indeed get who you vote for, but you and everyone else who doesn't vote also have to put up with who you don't vote for.
Please take the time to read the statements nominees make; question any odd associations or affiliations that you may not be aware of in a non-party political union in which the combined power of un-mandated individuals can be the only truly democratic choice; and, as with many other Equity elections, don't just vote for someone solely because somebody famous has proposed or seconded them.
But please, please do vote. Even if these forums can encourage a 50% increase over the last Council Election, at least 10% of the membership will have spoken.
Well said David.
There are very few candidates who have the courage to say they will stand for Council without linking them to one or other of the political factions within Equity in order to grease the voters with either of those groups urging their supporters to cover all of their bases!
A bit like having the 'Labour Party' or 'Conservative Party' label after their name in a General Election.
This is NOT government with Whips. This Union should be governed by Common Sense and not 'Leaders' of each group battling for command of it.
I hope that everyone has the sense to see that and support those candidates who have taken a stand against 'cronyism'.
Having stood as an independent, I think about 4 times without success, previously, I know just how hard it is to be elected just on your track record.
Now, having served on Council, I have seen how the ruling party conducts themselves; it does not fill me with admiration; they have 80% approximately, of the seats on Council. The opposition party also does not fill me with confidence either...
Party politics in a union; really does not work; it stifles debate; it chokes the life out of those trying to make a real effort/seeking to make a difference...
Being voted just because you represent a certain part/faction; is no way to vote. Yes it is so much easier to just tick all the boxes of a certain party; but is it going to elect the right people? I think not.
Make your choice on the person; not the party; make your union accountable; representing your views; not the views of a 'faction' within Equity.
As long as (5%) Equity members vote blindly, for such factions; and 95% don't vote at all; you will deminish your union; and what it actually does on your behalf!
Good grief! We AGREE on something, Clive!
If we end up with a Union run by 'factions' we will be reverting to the old 'Redgraves Red Party' rather than a representative group again.
The Union then was decried as being a faction of the Communist Party and laughed at by the General Public. We were all labelled 'Commie Luvvies' rather than a serious hard working Union devoted to the development of the rights of performers.
Please listen to the information you are getting and use your vote as YOU want it used. If you need more information about candidates or don't know who you are voting for simply DON'T put your cross in a box because someone else told you to do so.
Good luck to ALL the independent candidates.
And I have to say I've always found the factions within equity very confusing.
I always listen to the opinions of my fellow equity branch members and when I have gone to the annual representative's conference, I listen to all the speakers and vote on motions by both taking into account the views of my fellow members back home and by being influenced by the debate. I would hate it if I was part of some faction or other and was only allowed to vote as I was ordered.
I do think it's time for a change within Equity Council and there should be more truly independent councillors who can listen to their fellow Equity members. I stood last year as a completely independent candidate for Council and was only 15 votes away from making it on to Council. I believe I did this well because our current president had proposed me and he was also standing as a completely independent candidate. I am standing again this year but my seconder and proposed are not well-known actors so I would be very surprised if I do as well this time around.
Anyway the most important thing is that many many more of our members take the trouble to open the voting papers read through them a vote for some of the candidates.
I've always found these 'factions' somewhat confusing too Tracey. The only problem is that they are not really factions, but technically speaking, political unions within the union - in that they can dictate policy by force of elected representation on council and be instructed how to vote (mandating) and what to waste time on so that something else does not get heard at a meeting and therefore remitted, deferred or lost.
The majority of Equity members do not know about these party political factions within the union - but as we've noted above, the majority do not vote. Neither do they know the rules of the union - and why should they? But two rules all members should be made aware of are that mandated voting and party political factions within the union are contrary to the rules of the union and therefore illegal within the union.
The only problem is that the 'party' appears to rule by force majeure on the council, so any questions about them or action against them disappear as they are not going to vote on action against themselves.
The worst aspect of filling any union council with members of any faction is that there are often 'dead seats' occupied. This is where, due to mandated voting orchestrated by a party faction, a person who would never normally stand is placed in hazard for voting with guaranteed support from the faction. Once voted on to council, they either don't bother to show up or just vote blindly from a list given to them, often at a meeting with their fellows the day before a council meeting.
Support for candidates on their merit is the most important boost this union needs. Equity DOES work and it can work better. But some believe it is almost 15 years out of date in it's internal operation and this is largely due to the almost complete lack of independent representation on council.
Thanks David, how well and diplomatically you explain the faction thing in Equity. Dead seats are definitely such a waste especially when there are people like you and Alan who put so much time and effort into running their regional branches.
Personally I feel what Equity needs is more people who are involved with their branches standing for Council and being able to get elected to Council without being part of any faction. Also it's interesting that on this thread all of us who have contributed apart from Monty and Blake are members of Equity committee's.
I'm glad to know that Monty ploughed through all those election statements and voted last time and that Blake will make sure to vote this year. But where is everybody else, I do hope we see some more posts on this thread just saying "I will make the effort to vote in the 2008 Equity Council Elections".
Anyway voting papers don't go out until June so I am sure we will have to remind everybody to vote nearer the time. Though of course if there's anyone out there thinking about standing for Council there is still plenty of time, as the closing date for nominations is the 18th of April.
Three of us are on thelist I know already Tracey!
Let's hope that there is a big turnout to ensure we get some Common Sense back into Council! When I say 'Common' I mean a sense of community and remove factionalism.
If anyone wishes to cut and paste THIS message and email it to the Gen Sec I don't mind.
Though I believe that it a private members forum and not for onward transmission by 'moles'.
16 years ago
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