Specifically, then, having already learned something about jurisdiction, services, and common functions of the unions-let us explore on an individual basis their dues structures, membership requirements, and other relevant data.
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
To join AFTRA, an actor signs an application and pays an initiation fee of $1,000. The union consists of a national body and the autonomous locals in various cities across the country. Each local sets its own dues, which are paid to the local. National AFTRA, in turn, is supported by the local affiliates, which pay a fee based on a per capita of their memberships. AFTRA has about 37 locals and chapters, each with different dues.
The dues of the New York Local, for example, like those of the others, vary according to income earned within AFTRA's jurisdiction. Each New York member pays a flat $85 per year. Members who earn more than $2,000 a year for AFTRA work pay an additional 1.5 percent of AFTRA earnings, with a $100,000 cap. This means that minimum dues in New York are $85 and maximum dues are $1,585.
Initiation fees and dues of the Los Angeles Local are pretty much the same. Locals in the smaller markets (where earnings are lower), in the main, have lower dues.
Like other unions in the Four A's, AFTRA's major activities have dealt with economic factors: contract negotiations and enforcement and the improvement of wages and working conditions constitute the bulk of AFTRA's functions.
AFTRA's National Headquarters is in New York, NY 10016. The New York Local is located at the same address. The Los Angeles Local offices are located in Los Angeles, CA 90036. The office of the Chicago Local is in Chicago, IL 60611. Locations of other AFTRA locals are listed in metropolitan telephone books under the name of the organization: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.
Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
In order to become a member of the Screen Actors Guild, one may join under the following conditions. He or she must be a member in good standing of Equity or AFTRA for one year or longer and must have worked in that jurisdiction as a principal performer at least once during the year. If the applicant has not been a member of an affiliated union for the required year, but has a definite commitment as a principal performer in a motion picture, television commercial, or filmed television show, he or she will be accepted for membership in SAG. If an applicant is not a member of an affiliated union, the applicant must present a letter from a signatory motion picture producer or her or his representative-film, television, or television commercial company- stating that the applicant is wanted for a principal role or speaking part in a specific film.
The initiation fee is $1,044 plus the first semi-annual basic dues of $42.50. SAG dues are based on SAG earnings. Annual dues are $85. SAG members earning $5,000 or more per year under a SAG contract pay 1.25 percent of income in excess of $5,000 to a maximum of $150,000.
Although some of SAG's 26 branch offices elect their own local boards and hire their own executives, they are, finally, subject to the overall authority of the Board of Directors, which maintains central headquarters in Los Angeles, CA 90036. Branch and AFTRA caretaker offices are located in Atlanta; Boston; Chicago; Cleveland; Miami, Florida; Dallas; Denver; Houston; Las Vegas; Minneapolis; Nashville; New York; Philadelphia; Phoenix; St. Louis; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; and Washington, D.C.
Actors' Equity
If a producer offers an actor an Equity contract in any branch of the union's jurisdiction, the actor then joins Equity. Performers who have been members of another Four A's union (AFTRA or SAG, for instance), for one year or longer and have performed under that union's jurisdiction any work which is comparable to that of a principal, or specifically defined extra work, are also eligible to join Equity.
Another alternative is to join through the Equity Membership Candidate Program at one of the many participating Equity theatres. The program allows nonprofessional actors to credit their work toward AEA membership. After 50 weeks at accredited theatres, the registered membership candidate may join the union. The program is in effect in Equity resident theatres, dinner theatres, Chicago Off-Loop Theatres, in resident and nonresident dramatic stock theatres, and in many small professional theatres.
Except under the two stock agreements, membership candidates are credited every week they rehearse, perform, or understudy with the Equity Company. The 50 weeks need not be consecutive nor worked at the same theatre, provided that the work occurs at an Equity theatre where the program is in effect. Since stock seasons are traditionally shorter than in other theatres, and nonprofessionals often do technical work for part of the season, the membership candidate program's provisions have been expanded to credit a limited amount of related production activity--up to ten weeks of the membership candidate's total of 50 weeks may be spent in technical work, such as working scenery or hanging lights, provided that the work is done on a rotating schedule with rehearsal, understudy, or performance work. In addition, membership candidates at stock companies may receive credit for weeks spent as production assistant to the stage manager.
After securing a nonprofessional position at a participating Equity theatre, the candidate registers as a membership candidate by completing an Equity nonprofessional affidavit provided by the theatre, and sends the affidavit plus a $100 registration fee payable to Equity. This one-time fee is credited against the initiation fee that becomes due upon joining the union.
After accumulating 50 workweeks as a membership candidate, eligibility to join Equity lasts for a five-year period, but the candidate may no longer work at an Equity theatre unless he or she signs an Equity contract and joins the union. Since the membership candidate is not yet a member of Equity, but is working toward membership, the protections and privileges enjoyed by members cannot be extended to the membership candidate. Members of other entertainment industry unions must make special application to Equity in order to participate in this program.
Equity's initiation fee is $800. Basic dues are $78 per year. Additionally, there are also Working Dues: 2 percent of gross earnings from employment under Equity's jurisdiction, to a maximum of $150,000.
Like SAG, Equity is governed by a central council; the union has regional offices, but no locals, and while the branch offices are, in practice, somewhat autonomous in their executive administration, they are subject to policies set forth by the council. Equity's headquarters are in New York. Regional offices are located in the following cities: Chicago, IL 60601; Los Angeles, CA 90036; 235 Pine Street, San Francisco and in Orlando, FL 32821. Equity also has liaisons in cities around the country including Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Kansas City, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, San Diego, Seattle, and Washington/Baltimore.
Sometimes You Pay Less
It is not necessary to pay full dues to all of these organizations at once. By an informal arrangement among the unions, members who are active in any one of them and pay full dues to it, may then, in some circumstances, pay slightly less than the regular dues to any other Four A's unions they join later. But this arrangement lasts only as long as the actor continues to pay full dues to one "parent union." For example, if an actor suspects that he or she will not be working in films for awhile and wants to take a temporary withdrawal from SAG, the actor must then pay full dues either to AFTRA or Equity.
This happens quite often, and in practice it is not quite so complicated or difficult as it may seem. The entire arrangement is based on the fact that if an actor leaves the profession or the jurisdiction of a particular union for six months or longer, he or she may obtain "temporary withdrawal" from that union. An actor who gets a part in a successful Broadway play that may run a year might want to withdraw temporarily from active membership in AFTRA and SAG. The actor may do so and later reactivate membership without having to pay dues for the time he or she was on withdrawal.
Difficulty with this arrangement usually arises when actors forget to ask their unions for a temporary withdrawal status and the dues continue to accrue. One actress who got married and left the business many years ago recently decided that she would like to act again and was offered a part. She had never requested temporary withdrawal from her union and discovered that she owed hundreds of dollars in back dues, an expense that could have easily been avoided merely by writing a brief note or dropping by the office.
Since Equity was created in 1913, actors have moved a long stride forward. None of the unions can get them jobs, and they cannot always keep jobs for them, either. Collectively and individually, each union's greatest problem is the high degree of unemployment among its members. The profession is still a nightmare of pitfalls and insecurities, but whatever protection and stability our actors have achieved, they have done so largely through their unions.
