Canadian Actors' Equity Association : Actors Equity Association was established in May 1913 in New York City by 112 actors to protect their working conditions in the theatre. Earlier efforts, such as the Actors Society of America founded in 1896, had been unsuccessful in protecting actors but Actors Equity signed its first contract in October 1917. Its strength as a union was demonstrated during the thirty day recognition strike in the summer of 1919, which gained a five year contract for New York actors, and recognition of Actors Equity as the representative of theatre actors. Since that time, Actors Equity has represented actors in New York, as well as on the West Coast and in the Midwestern United States. The union is linked to the American Federation of Labor through the Associated Actors and Artists of America (commonly known as the Four A's), an umbrella organization of actors, musical artists, and variety artists.
In Canada, Actors Equity had no full time staff until Dennis Sweeting was hired in 1955 as the Equity representative in Toronto. In 1952, the Canadian Council of Authors and Artists (CCAA) had been established, as an umbrella organization of American Federation of Labour locals in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and Winnipeg representing radio artists, and Quebec based unions of artists and authors. The CCAA lobbied the Four A's to send a representative into Canada. In 1955, Equity members in Canada also formed the Canadian Advisory Council, an elected body of actors, which served as a focus for national concerns and a liaison with the New York Council of Actors Equity.
By 1959, the Canadian Advisory Council had become sufficiently established to begin discussions with the New York Council of Actors Equity about increased Canadian control of national affairs. In 1963, the CAC (renamed the Canadian Executive Council) was authorized to call membership meetings, grant concessions to standard minimum Equity contracts, appoint committees to advise the CEC, and hear charges against Equity members residing in Canada.
In the early 1970s, further discussions over the relationship between Equity members in Canada and the United States resulted in a Reciprocal Agreement between the two parties. In 1976, the renamed Canadian Actors Equity Association became a separate organization, but all members of Equity prior to April 1976 maintained the right to join both associations without paying any initiation fees, or being considered a foreign member.
