Associated Actors and Artists Papers

Consist primarily of reports and supporting research materials collected for a study on the proposed merger of several performers' unions affiliated with the Associated Actors and Artistes of America. The unions were: Actors' Equity Association (AEA); American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA); American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA); Television Authority (TVA); American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA); and Chorus Equity Association (CEA).

Materials include a study proposal; questionnaires; interview transcripts; lists of members; notes on socio- economic data on employees and unions; charts on union structure; reports of the study committee; notes and reports of conferences between the research committee and officers of the New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles local unions regarding merger proposals (1952); correspondence, chiefly of Professor Robert Aronson and Professor Edgar Warren with Louis Simon (AEA), and Frank Reel and Raymond Jones (AFRA), on the merger proposals (1951-1952); and memoranda on the AFRA National Board meeting; (TVA) merger proposals; the constitution for a proposed merger of TVA and AFRA; and reports by Bernard and Reis Company, Margaret Webster and Edward Bernays pertaining to AAAA mergers (1940- 1949).

Research materials used by Aronson, Warren and Komaroff to study the organizational functions and structure of AAAA include research notes on union jurisdiction, collective agreements, dues, and economic problems of the member unions; union documents such as constitutions, work rules and collective agreements; financial statements; codes of fair practice; permits and rules governing performers' agents; statistical data on dues, type of talent, affiliation, insurance, expenses, and wages; and memoranda pertaining to AAAA charter, employment agencies for performers, and jurisdictional dispute settlement (1950-1952). Also publications, including issues of Equity (newsletter of AEA, 1929-1952); clippings on various merger proposals (1950-1960); and newsletters and bulletins of member unions (1951).