3 Things to Consider Before You Join the Union

Quite often I am asked by non union actors if they should join SAG-AFTRA. That is always a fairly long discussion and a personal decision.

I am a vested member of SAG-AFTRA, meaning that I have earned enough money each year for a minimum of 10 years, to qualify for a pension from the Union after I retire. Normally, people who are so strongly connected with the Union would automatically say that everyone should join the Union right away. Even though I should say this, I honestly don’t feel that way.

Benefits to Joining SAG-AFTRA

There are so many incredible benefits from being a member of SAG – AFTRA. Just one of the benefits is from getting residual checks from previous work. About four months ago I worked on a TV show. I got paid for the one day of shooting. My episode got aired again a few months later, and I received another check. Getting a residual check is always such a nice surprise. This is especially true for Union TV commercials. Every 13 weeks, you can expect another check as long as the spot is running. You will even get a check if the company decides to put the commercial On Hold (meaning that it is not airing now, but it might be used later). For non union TV spots people are generally paid for the session, and that is the only time the talent will get paid.

Why Joining the Union Might Not Be Right For You Now

Having talked about one of the benefits, there are also some reasons not to join the Union. Once you join the Union, you are only allowed to work on Union acting jobs. If you live in an area that does not offer much Union work, it might not be wise to join at this time. You also want to have a lot of experience before joining. Unfortunately for me, there is a lot of non union work available that I can’t touch.

Things to Keep in Mind Before Making a Decision

1. You will have the potential to earn a lot more money, get better jobs and have more protection if you become a member of SAG-AFTRA

2. If you join, you can only work on Union projects (you can still work as a commercial model, but all acting projects need to be Union), so make sure
there is Union work available for you.

3. Make sure you have had a lot of experience working on TV commercials, films, student films before you consider joining.

Let me know your thoughts about joining the Union. Add a new comment below or on my facebook.com/howtomodel page

About the Author: Aaron Marcus

Aaron Marcus has been a full-time actor and commercial model for over 33 years. His new book, How to Become a Successful Actor and Model is an Amazon Best Seller. Aaron has given his seminar: "Book the Job" over 700 times spanning 3 continents. He also offers online workshops. Aaron saves 5 days each month to give private on-line coaching sessions.