I was at a point in my life where I felt I had the experience as an actor to be paid professionally to do it. Especially once I started my MFA, I knew I was going to receive the training and degree to back up my decision to join the union. I have been doing theatre since I was in elementary school, and although I am nowhere near perfect and have a lot of things to work on, I still believe that I deserve to be paid to do what I love to do. And while there have been exceptions - some projects have taught me priceless lessons and brought incredible people and artists into my life, while I also did not get paid - I felt that it was time for someone to watch my back and make sure I wasn't being taken advantage of as an actor. 

For example, without giving out the exact numbers, this week as a union member, I earned 4 or 5 times the amount than the non-union actors on set with me. We worked 14-18 hour days, we did the same amount of work, and the non-union actors received minimum wage while I got paid significantly more. All union actors also received a safe ride back to manhattan if it was between 11pm and sunrise (although they let non-union actors hop on if we all wrapped at the same time); I get paid a penalty if I am not given a meal break every 6 hours; I receive "night premiums" for working past 8pm, 2am, and 4am; I got to eat before all non-union actors; I get to check in, check out, and get into wardrobe before non-union; I got pay bumps for working around smoke and dust all day long; and best of all, I got paid overtime after 8 hours of work, which means I got paid for at least 6 hours of overtime three days in a row. Someone asked me on set, "was it worth it to join the union?" -  I think those three days are my answer to that question. 

The competition for union work is fierce, but I really believed I was ready to compete with other union members when I joined.

The 4a's (The Associated Actors and Artistes of America) is the parent union to SAG-AFTRA, AEA, AGVA, AGMA, and GIAA. Join one of these unions, and after a year of good standing (paid up on dues, not getting in trouble for doing non-union work, etc.), an actor, artist, performer, etc. can buy their way into any of the other unions. I initially wanted to join SAG-AFTRA to eventually join AEA. AEA is arguably a little harder to join, so I thought it would be easier to go through another union. Fortunately, I get to join anyway and through an equity contract, but it is still a great perk. 

For anyone who is over the age of 22, not in school, can't go through their parents health insurance anymore, etc. - HEALTH INSURANCE is a huge issue. By joining the union, an actor is giving themselves the opportunity to get good health insurance. Most actors I know do a lot of freelance work to pay the bills because it's hard to hold down a full-time, 40 hour a week job when trying to also audition and, you know, create art. And with freelance jobs comes private health insurance. Unions fill this gap for actors. Not just any member can receive insurance, though - there are eligibility qualifications. Currently for SAG insurance, an actor must earn a certain amount of money a year, or work 76 days a year to qualify. I believe the other unions have similar qualifications. But regardless, knowing there is a possibility for decent health insurance is a pretty great reason to join. 

Okay, so this is just fun stuff. But most unions (not just acting unions) offer discounts for a ton of stuff for their members. Flights, hotels, rental cars, classes, gym memberships, etc. SAG-AFTRA also offers master classes with a ton of different people all the time, plus talk backs/Q&A's with well-known actors. There is also the Actors Federal Credit Union, the Actor's Fund, etc. to help out members - much better than a bank! Plus, especially if you live in NYC, a bunch of stores and studios offer discounts to union members. 

This probably sums up all of my feelings about joining a union. They were formed for a reason - because, unfortunately, some people still believe acting, singing, dancing, and really any sort of art form is a not real job. This mentality will sometimes lead to abuse of an artists time and talent. Unions are there to make sure artists are treated like human beings. They make sure that everyone is being paid enough for the work being done - but also have contracts available for smaller scale productions so actors can still build their resumes or work on low budget passion projects (such as the AEA Showcase Contract and SAG-AFTRA's New Media, Short Film, and Student Film contracts). They make sure artists are given enough breaks and in a timely manner, or else the production is penalized for it. They make sure that anyone working in hazardous conditions or possibly uncomfortable situations (such as nudity) is compensated for those things. And they provide all artists with an opportunity to actually make a living off of their talent and love for their craft. 

With all of that being said, reasons to wait a bit to join a union....

I understand that younger actors may not have the resume to back up having a union status. Some people are fortunate enough to be offered opportunities early on in their careers to be paid at a union wage without having to immediately join the union. In this case, you must decide whether you are professionally ready to compete with all of the other talented and well-trained actors out there who are a part of the union. If there is only a credit or two on your resume, it's probably best to wait until you have a better understanding of the theatre and TV/Film/New Media world. Doing non-union work is a great way to build your resume; there is more of it (generally), although you are also competing with a lot more people for those roles. However, too often people make the mistake of joining a union just because they can, and fail to book any work because they didn't have the experience to compete with seasoned actors. Obviously, this is especially true for actors not living in NYC or LA - sometimes, there just isn't enough union work to even build a resume.

The initiation fees to join the unions are expensive. SAG-AFTRA does offer a loan to help pay to join ( and I am sure AEA does, too) - but I would recommend paying the initiation fee up front if you can. Obviously, most people cannot afford to shell out $3000 whenever they feel like it, so some people will wait until they a) HAVE to join or b) are given a big enough union contract to cover the costs of joining. Obviously, this is the most practical reason to stay non-union for awhile. 

Other than that, I am a big advocate for joining a union when you are ready and are given the opportunity. I have been very happy as a member of SAG-AFTRA for the past year and a half, and know I made the right decision for myself. 

If you have any questions about unions, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch with me at brynneerinmcmanimie@gmail.com.

That's all for now - have a lovely weekend everyone, and stay tuned for another post soon!

xo

brynne

P.S. On another note, R.I.P. Elaine Stritch. I'm drinking to you this weekend!