About a couple of months ago I got a letter from SAGAFTRA informing me of my eligibility to join. Have I joined yet? No, I haven’t. Not because I’m lazy or procrastinating (although even a mediocre prosecutor could probably convince a jury I’m guilty of having those traits). But because it would not be a good career move.

Are their advantages to being union? Absolutely! The particulars are beyond the scope of this post so if you want to know about these advantages contact SAGAFTRA. So, why do I consider joining to be a not good career move? Because it closes doors on non-union projects and necessitates that I only audition for union roles. Even if my acting ability is not to the level of the others auditioning.

Let’s compare this to a fictional basketball scenario. You earn your eligibility to join the NBA by making a three-point shot. Great for you, but don’t sign the dotted line just yet. You only get paid for the games you book. For the sake of the scenario, assume the players tryout to play each game unless they’re a starter. If they are even invited to tryout for that game. We know that a particular player is going to play seven minutes in the third quarter even before tickets are sold. If you, who has played a couple of games of Horse, are going up against a player who has spent years honing his skills, who do you think is going to have the advantage? Oh, by the way, you’re only allowed to do NBA sanctioned games. So no going to the park on the weekend for a non-NBA game. You’re allowed to work on developing your skills…dribbling, lay-ups, free throws…but the only way to legitimately get game experience is to win a spot during tryouts. The non-NBA game option of gaining game experience is a thing of the past.

How I earned my eligibility isn’t relevant. But since it’s a natural curiosity, I earned it by booking a union role on a TV show. Booking this role was preceded by years (emphasis on the “s”) of auditions, non-union roles, classes, workshops, networking events, etc. Is it possible to do a New Media project and get in the union with just a few months experience? From what I’ve read on some acting forums, I think that might be a “yes”. But is it wise? Well, someday, my status will become “must join” and the next union job I work… The rules for when you become a “must join” are the same for all regardless of how you earned your eligibility or how much experience you have.

I always figured I would get my eligibility when I am ready for it. I figure booking my must join job will be the same. At that point, to refer back to the basketball scenario, I will be at the level of being a serious NBA contender.

More than a few times I’ve seen posts asking about ways to get into the union. I’ve also seen many posts asking about the permissibility of working off the card. Often wonder if the second question isn’t a belated follow-up to the first.