The FIA Youth Group is finally taking shape! With the FIA Executive Committee taking place in London and hosted by Equity UK, the youth group took the opportunity to convene there on the same days and to meet in person for the first time. A two-day meeting was therefore organised on 31 September and 1 October during which the group – originally called Young Members Global Working Group or FIA Youth – was renamed FIA Future Now.
13 members, mainly from Europe but also from New Zealand, South Africa and the United States, had the opportunity to participate in the meeting. They met in a room adjacent to the main hall where the Executive Committee was simultaneously held. The session started with a welcome and a series of introductions of each participant. All were keen to learn about each other’s national context and recognised the gap between some unions in terms of size and resources, as well as the disparity in labour rights and working conditions from one country to another. This discussion reinforced their sense of international solidarity.
At the heart of the meeting was a series of presentations on, first, the benefits and difficulties of a youth trade union committee and, second, on strategies for organising young performers. These presentations were an opportunity for some members of the group with more in-depth experience on these topics to share their good practices with the rest of the group. The first panel on young members’ structures started with Helen Monks from Equity UK giving an overview of Equity’s Young Members Committee, followed by Ben Whitehair who presented SAG-AFTRA’s NextGen Performers Committee. Both explained the history and structure of the committees and shared different initiatives such as increasing the representation of young members within the union, giving them opportunities for networking and offering training to gain practical skills on how to protect their careers.
The second topic on young artists outreach was introduced by Karrim Jalali, coordinator of Equity UK’s Young Members Committee, followed by Marianne Infante from Equity NZ. Both shared their respective union’s strategies for organising young workers. A common practice is to visit drama schools and, in the case of Equity UK, workplaces to talk directly to students and young workers. An important aspect is to inform them about their employment rights and the role of trade unions in defending these rights. Workshops, discounts on union membership for students, social gatherings are other initiatives to create a contact and raise awareness among young professionals.
The meeting ended with a report from the group to the FIA Executive Committee, recognising the efforts and achievements of FIA members over the years, from which derives a lot of motivation to organise young workers as well as inspiration to continue this work with the newly created group.
The meeting was therefore very successful, with sustained and positive energy. After two online calls in March and May 2022, meeting in person for the first time allowed everyone to share their enthusiasm and to lay the foundations for a strong committee.
The group now counts 27 members covering 16 unions and 14 countries, from New Zealand to Norway, South Africa to Mexico, and will meet online on 12 December 2022. The meeting will be the occasion to welcome the newcomers, discuss the priority issues and decide on the first concrete steps to take.
So… Let’s take on FIA’s Future Now!
