<p>My daughter is thinking about auditioning for a summer civic organization in our city that mandates joining the AEA if you're given a job. She would love to have the experience of auditioning and working however if the long term outcome of joining the union at the age of 18, before even going to college for MT, is a negative one then she will pass on the experience. What kind of expenses are associated with the union and once a member always a member?</p>
<p>From what I understand (PLEASE correct me if I’m wrong) this is the way it works: The yearly dues are somewhere around 1,000 bucks (I think) and you are a member as long as you pay the dues. However, If you stop you are no longer a member. Also, your daughter would be free to do shows at an MT school because they are for education, but if she was to perform for a non equity house, they would have to go through a process with equity to gain permission for her to do that show. This is what I think I remember.</p>
<p>There have been other discussions here surrounding this issue. You could probably find them with a search. Having said that, I’m very curious what this civic organization is. And how, and why, they would require Equity membership. In any case, there is a fee of about $1000 to join, annual dues are in the $120 range, and then, of course, a certain percentage of any salary you earn in an Equity job will be deducted (sorry I forget the exact percentage but it’s likely in the 2 or 3 % range). </p>
<p>I would not recommend that someone take a job that requires Equity membership at that age, unless they’re cast in a Broadway or an Equity national tour show, which is rare.</p>
<p>Check out the Taft-Hartley Act. I believe that one can join Equity for the duration of the job and then have the membership removed according to this act. It is a one-time occurence I think. This way your child gets Equity pay but does not have to join the union.</p>
<p>p.s.: One does not have to pay the $1100 one-time dues this way either.</p>
<p>I would agree with Alwaysamom - currently, there is more non-Equity work available than Equity, so unless you can compete with actors with Broadway experience, it could be more hurtful than beneficial to have your Card this soon.</p>
<p>Sometimes the hiring theatre pays the initiation fee(currently $1100), but if not, I personally would not consider joining at this age and stage of your career. </p>
<p>Always’ figures on annual dues and payroll deductions are right in the ballpark too - if you’re a stickler for detail, it’s $59 semi-annually, plus 2.25% payroll deduction(caps out at $300,000 a year - if ONLY a few of our kids would ever see that! ! ! !)</p>
<p>But one can take an equity job and join only temporarily and invoke the Taft-Hartley Act and thereby not pay any dues or payroll deduction- and get the job experience. SOme kids that used to post here have done it.</p>
<p>ps One has 2 years from time of first job to pay the dues of $1100. My daughter took a year to get hers paid thru Equity jobs (once you join they take it out of your pay at a reasonable rate and you have 2 years to pay the balance.</p>
<p>I don’t know anyone who’s ever used this Taft-Hartley out for getting Equity work. I’m not sure I understand why it would be necessary as there are ways that Equity productions have the capability to hire a non-union actor, which is often the way it’s done. It depends what kind of contracts are used and what agreements they’re able to reach with Equity for the particular production. I don’t see why ‘becoming Equity’ for a short time and then doing whatever is necessary via this Labor act to get out of it, would be a good idea. IN any case, as I mentioned earlier, I don’t see any good reason for an 18 year old to join Equity unless it is a Broadway or tour role.</p>
<p>TTMom, the requirements under the Taft- Hartley Act are not as simplistic as you are describing and there is a comprehensive body of case law, both court and administrative, that addresses a rather complex regulatory system.</p>
<p>More fundamentally, however, what you are suggesting is that someone take advantage of the substantial wages, benefits and other beneficial terms and conditions of employment that have been achieved through hard fought negotiations by the AEA and then try to worm out of contributing to the costs and expenses attendant to AEA representation and related employment benefits. If you are not willing to contribute to the costs of achieving and maintaining the wages, benefits and terms of employment under an AEA contract, then don’t work under one.</p>
<p>I was not suggesting anyone “worm out” of any AEA obligations; not at all. Please do not assume that when you do not know me. My own daughter is a proud AEA member. I was only suggesting the T-H Act because I know of people on this chat board and elsewhere whose kids have used that clause to do the one -time job because they got hired, wanted the work, but did not want to join the union, and used this due to the particular theater’s rules that one had to join Equity for the show. I was trying to be helpful, not PROMOTE anything to avoid any obligation to a great union! WOW.</p>
<p>There are no black and white answers regarding membership at such a young age . I have never heard of anyone invoking taft-hartley regarding equity. If you join, you have to pay the dues. You can quit any time you care to. I don’t think any of that addresses the issue at hand. Joining equity is always a matter of timing and where you ride in the talent pool. In my experience I find the most often, not always, it is more beneficial to a student’s development to wait a bit before joining AES. Once you join, you need to have the time, temperament, and talent to fly with the big boys - while you are a developing young person there will be many more beneficial opportunities afforded you in non-eq situations. Nothing hard & fast - just my take.</p>
<p>TTmom, I sent you a P.M. which hopefully will clarify my comments.</p>
<p>TTmom, sorry I misinterpreted your earlier posts. </p>
<p>As a point of information, the Taft-Hartley Act, which amended the National Labor Relations Act, does not contain a “one time only” exception to the obligations of union membership. The union security clause provisions of section 8(a)(3) of the Act provide that that it is lawful for a collective bargaining agreement to require only that an employee become a member of the union on the 30th day after the date of hire. There are no special provisions for the performing arts industry and all of AEA’s contracts conform with this legal requirement. The only industry that is treated differently in this regard is the construction industry in which union security provisions may be enforced after 7 days pursuant. The normal 30 day lag time may very well give a performer the opportunity to obtain employmentfor a limited period of time in an Equity production or theatre without incuring any immediate union membership obligations, just like in any other industry, but there are, of course, the practical considerations that go into the existance of such opportunities for a professional performer who does not have an Equity card to begin with.</p>
<p>However, AEA collective bargaining agreements do have special provisions applicable to “Non-Professionals” (students and Equity Membership Candidates) that permit non-professionals who are not Equity members to work at Equity Theatres and on Equity shows. There are all sorts or rules attendant to these provisions. The details of how these provisions work are available in the AEA collective bargaining agreements posted on the AEA website. See section 37 of the LORT agreement as an example.</p>