When An Actor Should Join A Union

There are three essential unions for professional actors. Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). All three unions have a one-time initiation fee, plus annual dues, which are calculated based on your earnings under that union’s jurisdiction. When you join the union you are no longer allowed to take a non-union role, so when you are just starting out it is usually wise to remain non-union for a while to gain experience by doing non-union roles.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) has some overlapping responsibilities shared with SAG, but represents a wider range of professionals in various entertainment categories, from newspersons to magicians. SAG is primarily concerned with wages and working conditions of performers working on film.

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)

AFTRA is the easiest of the three performers’ unions to join, merely requiring you to fill out an application and pay the initiation fee. The membership includes actors, announcers, news broadcasters, singers (including royalty artists and background singers), dancers, sportscasters, disc jockeys, talk show hosts and others. In addition, AFTRA is:

2. AFTRA represents actors and other professional performers in TV, radio, sound recordings, commercials, non-broadcast/industrial programs and interactive programs such as CD-ROMS.

Terms To Know

Bump Up. An upgrade in pay and billing when an Extra says a few words or other special activity in a scene.

Day-Player. Someone who is hired at SAG scale (minimum) for the day.

Golden Time. Refers to overtime paid after working sixteen hours straight, equal to one’s daily rate every hour.

Meal Penalty. Additional monies paid if a working cast or crew member has not been fed after the six hours allotted by union contracts.

Must Join. A situation in which an actor has used up the 30-day grace period to join a union and upon hiring for the next job must join that union as mandated by the Taft-Hartley law.

Principal Player. An actor with lines, paid at least SAG scale.

SAG-eligible. A non-union actor who is eligible to join SAG by being cast in a principal role, being a member of an affiliated union and having had a principal role under that union’s jurisdiction, or performing three days of union extra work. Also known as a “must join.”

SAG-franchised. Status of an agent or agency that has signed papers with SAG and agrees to operate within SAG guidelines.

Scale. Minimum SAG daily wage for principal actors.

Sister Union. One or more additional unions you join after the first one. The first union you join is your parent union.

Taft-Hartley Law. A law that allows non-union actors to work under a union contract for their first role. After that, they must join the union.

Under-Five (U/5). An acting role designation calling for five lines or less on AFTRA shows. This category has a specific pay rate, which is less than a day-player.

Union Scale. Minimum wage scale earned in employment by members of AFTRA, AF of M, SAG, etc.

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Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)

Actors’ Equity represents over 40,000 theatre performers and stage managers. The way you become a member of AEA is:

2. Being a member in good standing of another performers’ union for at least one year and supplying proof of work under their jurisdiction.

3. Going through the Equity Membership Candidacy Program which allows you to join Equity if you have completed 50 weeks at an Equity theatre which offers the Candidacy program.

Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

The Screen Actors Guild is organized into three governing divisions, and each division is governed by its own Rules of Procedure. Essentially SAG negotiates and enforces collective bargaining agreements that establish equitable levels of compensation, benefits, and working conditions for performers. SAG has jurisdiction over movies, television and commercials produced on film. You can join SAG in one of three ways:

1. By being cast and hired to work in a principal or speaking role for a SAG signatory producer.

2. After a minimum of one year’s membership in an affiliated performers’ union, with proof of principal work under that union’s jurisdiction.

Check List To Consider When Joining A Union
	The three main unions for professional actors are: Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), Screen Actors Guild (SAG), and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
	It is not a union’s responsibility to find you a job or keep you in a job once you have found one. Just because an actor is a member of a union does not mean he or she is any more talented, experienced or qualified to work than you or any other actor.
	Some conventional wisdom about joining unions for a new actor is this: your goal should be to generate opportunities to build your resume and to develop talent and skills. This is what the vast majority of non-union work opportunities will help you to do. However, if you sign on with a union before taking advantage of these opportunities, they will be lost.
	The goals of the union are to establish minimums for actors: minimums for work, minimums for residuals, minimums for conditions on a set and minimums for dues that a member will pay.
	A major benefit of union membership is access to agents and casting directors through guild-sponsored seminars and showcases.
	A phone call to the membership departments or a visit to the web sites of the unions will get you membership information with all the details about how to join and the benefits you get through joining the particular union.
	*Use our communication tools (chat room; message board; messaging tools etc.) to reach others who can provide you with more help and information*

ACTRA ACTRA Toronto Performers 625 Church Street, Suite 200 Toronto, ON M4Y 2G1 Phone: 416-928-2278 National Organization of Canadian Performers Working in Film, Television, Video and all other Recorded Media. Email: info@actratoronto.com http://www.actra.ca	AFL-CIO 815 16th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20006 Phone: 202-637-5000 Fax: 202-637-5058 Email: feedback@aflcio.org http://www.aflcio.org	American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) 4400 Mac Arthur Blvd NW Suite 306 Washington, DC 20007 Phone: 202-337-9325 Fax: 202-338-3787 Union that represents professional musicians. Email: local161-710@afm.org http://www.afm.org/
American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) 1430 Broadway, 14th Floor New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212-265-3687 Fax: 212-262-9088 The labor organization that represents the men and women who create America's operatic, choral and dance heritage. Email: AGMA@MusicalArtists.org http://www.musicalartists.org/	American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) 184 5th Avenue New York, NY 10010 Phone: 212-675-1003 or 363 7th Avenue New York, NY 10001 Phone: 646-674-0135 Represents performers in Broadway, Off-Broadway, Cabaret productions, night club entertainers and theme park performers. Email:	Artists Rights Foundation 7920 Sunset Boulevard, 6th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90046 Phone: 323-436-5060 Fax: 323-436-5061 Send Email from this webpage: http://www.artistsrights.org/contact/default.htm
Directors Guild of America (DGA) 7920 Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, California 90046 Phone: 310-289-2000 / 800-421-4173 Fax: 310-289-2029 Represents members in theatrical, industrial, educational and documentary films, as well as television live, filmed and taped radio, videos and commercials. Email: info@dga.org http://www.dga.org	Industry Labor Guide Comprehensive resource, covering Union & Guild contracts for all major Production Centers. Entertainment Publishers, Inc. 11693 San Vicente Blvd., # 206 Los Angeles, CA. 90049 Phone: 310-440-5800 Toll free: 800-820-7601 Fax: 310-440-5812 Email: epi@EntertainmentPublisher.com http://www.laborguide.com	International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE ) 1430 Broadway 20th Floor New York, NY 10018 Phone: 212-730-1770 Fax: 212-730-7809 Represents technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live theater, film and television production. Email: organizing@iatse-intl.org http://www.iatse-intl.org
NABET/CWA Local 57 3210 W. Burbank Blvd., Suite D, Burbank, CA 91505 Phone: 818-567-9935 Fax: 818-567-9968 Communications Workers of America. Email: webmaster@nabet57.com http://www.nabet57.com/	Professional Musicians, Local 47 817 Vine St., Hollywood CA 90038 Phone: 323-462-2161, x150 A 100-plus-year old labor organization representing over 9,000 local members. Email: membership@promusic47.org http://www.promusic47.org/	Writers Guild of America, East 555 West 57th Street, Suite 1230 New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-767-7800 Fax: 212-582-1909 Negotiates Minimum Basic Agreements with major producers of motion pictures and television programs as well as contracts for staff members at radio and television stations. http://www.wgaeast.org/
Writers Guild of America, West 7000 West Third Street Los Angeles, California 90048 Phone: 323-951-4000 Toll Free: 800-548-4532 Is the sole collective bargaining representative for writers in the motion picture, broadcast, cable, interactive and new media industries. Email: theater@wga.org http://www.wga.org/

An Actors Guide: Making It in New York City by Glenn Alterman 288 pages; (February 2002) Allworth Press; ISBN: 1581152132	The Complete Idiot's Guide to Acting by Paul Baldwin, John Malone, John Williams Malone 384 pages; (May 2001) Alpha Books; ISBN: 0028641531	How to Be a Working Actor: The Insider's Guide to Finding Jobs in Theater, Film, and Television by Mari Lyn Henry, Lynne Rogers 319 pages; (September 1994) Back Stage Books; ISBN: 0823088944
The Business of Acting: Learn the Skills You Need to Build the Career You Want by Brad Lemack, Isabel Sanford 192 pages; (May 2002) SCB International; ISBN: 0971541000	An Actor’s Guide: Your First Year in Hollywood by Michael Saint Nicholas 272 pages; (June 2000) Allworth Press; ISBN: 158115058X	Acting As a Business: Strategies for Success by Brian O'Neil 109 pages; (April 1999) Reed Elsevier Incorporated ISBN: 0325001235

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Actors' Fund of America 729 Seventh Avenue, 10th Floor New York, New York 10019 Phone: 212-221-7300 Fax: 212-764-0238 A nonprofit organization founded in 1882, committed to helping show business professionals in times of need with programs in health, human services and work programs. Email: ccooke@actorsfund.org http://www.actorsfund.org/	AFTRA-SAG Federal Credit Union 12711 Ventura Blvd. #200 Studio City, CA 91604 Phone: 818-487-6400 Fax: 818-766-9552 Financial services that benefit members of AFTRA, SAG, AGVA and other Select Employee Groups. Email: admin@aftrasagfcu.com http://www.aftrasagfcu.com	American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) 405 Lexington Avenue, 18th Floor New York, NY 10174-1801 Phone: 212-682-2500 Fax: 212-682-8391 Along with the Association of National Advertisers, it is officially recognized by the National Labor Relations Board to negotiate labor union agreements with commercial performers affiliated with SAG, AFTRA, and the AFM. Email: louise@aaaa.org http://www.aaaa.org
National Association of Talent Representatives (NATR) c/o The Gage Group 315 West 57th St., #4H New York, NY 10019 Phone: 212-262-5696 -or- 212-541-5250 Fax: 212-956-7466 Email: gageny@aol.com	SAG Pension & Health Funds Burbank Plan Office 3601 West Olive Avenue P.O. Box 7830 Burbank, CA 91510-7830 Phone: 818-954-9400 or 800-777-4013 (outside the Los Angeles Area) Fax: 818-953-9880 This site provides you with the most current information regarding your health and pension benefits Email: psd@sagph.org http://www.sagph.org/	Dramatists Guild of America 1501 Broadway, Suite 701 New York, NY 10036 Phone: 212-398-9366 Fax: 212-944-0420 The website of this association of Playwrights, Composers, and Lyricists holds information about membership, copyright, contracts, events & seminars, ways to contact playwrights and their agents, and articles from The Dramatist. Email: Igor@Dramaguild.com http://www.dramaguild.com

For a full listing of helpful associations and organizations click here

When An Actor Should Join A Union

Check List To Consider When Joining A Union

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)

Terms To Know

Actors’ Equity Association (AEA)

Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

Other Vital Unions And Guilds For The Performing Artist

Useful Books

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Relevant Associations & Organizations