“The Union- To Join or Not to Join…That is the Question”

The union question is a big part of the “process” that I have previously referred to as being the “frightening” part of the entertainment business.

My job, when I’m not a reluctant stage mom, is in healthcare, many years of which were spent in management. Union is a word I have been taught to dread. It is also a topic many people seem to feel very strongly about….maybe not as strongly as our current presidential election…but strongly. One of the first questions we are asked by people we meet is “is he Union?”. This is usually followed up by either “you definitely want to join as soon as he is eligible!” Or “avoid that as long as you can, they’ll restrict him too much at his age!”. Needless to say this certainly hasn’t made the word “union” any more desirable.

Zack is currently in an equity show, which makes him AEA eligible, however we haven’t quite figured out the next steps to take or even if we are ready to take them. He has also received forms stating that he can only work one more day on a union project before he would have to join SAG/AFTRA. I don’t have all the answers yet, but I have done quite a bit of research and will share with you the facts as I now understand them.
Let’s start with Actor’s Equity Association (AEA). It was founded in 1913 and is run as a democracy complete with its own constitution and by-laws. There is a national counsel as well as three regional boards; Eastern, Central, and Western. The National headquarters and the Eastern Regional offices are both in NYC, the Central Regional office is in Chicago, and the Western Regional office is in North Hollywood. Equity contracts cover jobs in three categories; principal, chorus, and stage manager.
There are three ways to become eligible to join AEA.
1) sign a contract with an equity show. Certain contracts may have length of eligibility requirements before becoming eligible. The membership department can assist in determining this and that is our next step with Zack. One important note is that the regulations state you are only eligible while under that contract.
2)have a membership in a performing arts sister union i.e./ SAG/AFTRA, AGMA, or AGVA. You must be a member in good standing and must have performed work while a member. You would need to provide a letter from the union with which  you are currently enrolled  stating that you have met these requirements.
or
3)Equity Membership Candidate Program (EMC). I think coming from an area of the country where work opportunities for equity actors are fewer and farther between this option is the one I have heard most about. The program involves one becoming connected with an equity theater and logging weeks of work on equity shows, almost like an internship program. The program is for actors/stage managers in training and sounds as if the theater has agreed to act as a kind of a supervisor while you work and train. You must log 50 weeks of work before you are eligible to join the union and there are forms available on the website to submit. This particular option was a bit confusing to me so if anyone has other information that could clarify please chime in!
Let’s talk a bit about what being an AEA member affords you.
1) The union negotiates minimum salaries complete with work rules including length of day, breaks, and days off. As we are currently on tour I can also add the requirements of housing, the money paid to assist with cost of living on the road, and the location of the housing relative to the performance venue.
2)The union guarantees safe and sanitary working conditions
3) The union provides access to affiliate services i.e./ tax preparation and membership in a credit union
4) The union mandates the use of professional wranglers or guardians backstage for the kids
5) The union members have access to an excellent health benefits plan as well as being enrolled in a pension plan
6) The union membership allows you to attend members only auditions.
And perhaps most importantly
7) The union allows you access to a support system of up to 50,000 other members and all of their collective experiences and connections as well as the right to vote in any future elections.
Truly, any one who dreams of working in a career in the theater has the goal of achieving union status, so why is there any question?
Perhaps for adults it’s a no-brainer. They are out on their own, working independently to support their households, they are no longer reliant on their parents for healthcare benefits, and have probably at least begun to think about their retirement.
For kids there are concerns about not being able to participate in their home community projects. Many times kids can have a point in their career when they are busy for a period of time and then they find themselves in a transitional period where they could end up back at home and not working on a project. Under union rules they would not be allowed to participate in school plays or dance recitals etc…The rules of AEA say that kids under 14 can ask to temporarily withdraw from AEA to allow them to participate in these non union projects. Once they turn 14 you need written permission from AEA to participate. This would even include benefit performances.
The AEA doesn’t require kids to join until they are 14 years old. There are many who advocate for putting off joining as long as possible unless your child already has a firm plan to make his/her career on the stage.
There are some rules for members of AEA regardless of age and include , do not rehearse or perform without a signed contract, give your best possible performance at all times and make no changes to the performance without direction from stage management, be on time and notify stage management per regulation about illness, and contact the deputy or stage manager with any disputes.
The AEA is self supporting and funded by membership dues and initiation fees. These fees include an $1100 one time initiation fee that has to be paid within the first 2 years of signing up (with a $400 initial payment at time of sign up) and if payment is not completed you forfeit the other contributions you have made during those 2 years. Membership dues are comprised of two different types. Annual dues of $118 /year paid in biannual payments due November 1st and May 1st of $59 each. The second type is the working dues which are deducted directly from the members paycheck whenever they are working under contract at a rate of 2.25% of his/her earnings up to a max of $300,000/year.
SAG/AFTRA is very similar to AEA, with the exception for children being that once they turn 4 years old they are only allowed to work 2 days on a union job before being required to join. These do not need to be 2 days on the same job, they can be a single day on two different jobs.
The contract categories under SAG/AFTRA are also much greater in number than under AEA but benefits, responsibilities, and penalties are all very similar.
The initiation fee for SAG/AFTRA is $3100 with similar time frame for payment. Annual dues are $201.96 and with the same due dates and a biannual payment plan. Work dues are also present and are at a rate of 1.575% of money earned working under contract up to $500,000/year.
These are the basic facts about the union(s). Clearly there are many benefits of becoming a member, not the least of which is the pride in being able to say that you are a member, and there are also a few drawbacks to consider, particularly if you are a child. We, as a family, have not yet decided on the direction that will be best for us but will continue to consider all the options and be able to make an informed decision when the time comes. I certainly hope this blog entry helps you to better understand the process.
Next week there will not be an entry on the blog. I am going HOME!! Yeah! For a few days to see my other children and husband. I plan to give them all of my time and energy. I will be back in two weeks with another entry. If there’s a particular subject matter or question you have that you’d like me to attempt to address I’d be happy to hear from you. Until next time….