The letters "SAG" and "AFTRA" may be completely unfamiliar to those just starting out in the business, but for seasoned actors they are all too familiar.  SAG, which stands for Screen Actors Guild, is a labor union established in 1933 by actors to address their discontent with the grueling work hours at Hollywood Studios.  AFTRA, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which has similar goals, was established in 1952 when the Television Authority and the American Federation of Radio Artists merged.

These unions worked separately for years to fight for the needs and rights of many types of performers (principal and background actors, radio & television announcers, singers and recording artists).  As with most unions, there were dues and initiation fees associated with membership, but once a member, performers enjoyed better wages, benefits (health, pension, vacation) and better working conditions.  
Moving forward, on March 30th, 2012 the two unions merged, creating SAG-AFTRA and thus increasing their bargaining strength.  The new union now collectively represents over 160,000 film and television principal and background performers and a variety of others within the entertainment industry, worldwide.

"The merger of these two unions is a huge victory for our members, and it is a monumental achievement for the labor movement," said co-president, Roberta Reardon after the vote last year. "As this vote today proves, great and transformative things are possible when working Americans stand together and shape their collective destiny through their union. I applaud every member who voted and invite all members, locally and nationally, to join with us in building a successor union worthy of AFTRA and SAG."

SAG-AFTRA has three basic master agreements which spell out the responsibilities of producers hiring  minors depending on project type (feature film, television or commercial) and union signatory.  Although the unions have merged, the contracts have not yet been modified and are due for renegotiation in early 2014. That said, the merger, of course, has caused some changes leaving many parents and performers (of all ages) wondering how they are (or will be) affected.

Active Members Before Merge - To those who were a member of AFTRA or SAG (or both) prior to the merge, you are probably well aware of at least some of the changes and the fact that you are now a member of the union as a whole.  Active members before the merger were not required to pay any additional initiation fees.

Fee Changes - At around $3,000 (depending on your location) the new initiation fee is now higher than SAG's $2,277 or AFTRA's $1600. While this does translate to a discount for those actors who would have had to, or opted to, join both, it may be a bit of a sticker shock to those only involved in one union. To ease your mind (or wallet), consider  the fact that many actors in the past ended up joining both unions because AFTRA, since 2009, held the overwhelming majority of scripted television series while movies remained a SAG-only business. Those performers who worked on a variety of projects often faced the requirement of joining both unions at some point or another.

When should my child join the Union?

For new performers just starting out, there was always a predicament as to whether or not they should join the unions. Many thought that by joining they would get more and better work, but neglected to consider that it might prevent them from pursuing non-union work which can be more plentiful to the unknown artist and is very much needed to build a solid resume foundation.  

Children In Film's recommendation when parents ask whether or not they should join the union has, and continues to be, "You will know when it is time." When a non-union performer works on a union project, they begin to establish a relationship with the union and, to summarize, are eventually required to join and pay fees in order to proceed.  While being a member of the union is definitely a sign that you are moving one more rung up the ladder of success, a performer who jumps the "union gun" by joining too early in their career now faces the reality of being available only to union jobs and is also faced with fees that can be challenging to pay for when you aren't working regularly.