A Professional Actor ?
Considering my actual paid work opportunities have shrunk to nothing in 2017, I now have time to devote to our Union, and spend some time fully understanding my newly-minted “Professional” status.
I have been listening to horror stories and complaints about labour unions since I was a child, and these only intensified during my entry into the theatrical world some 30 years ago (In a different country, too, which always makes me consider ‘Human Nature’ first and foremost.). However I think that it’s important to be taken seriously by others in whatever I do, and working toward a goal is a major motivation to me.
Considering that I have trained for three years in my chosen vocation, and served some kind of ‘Apprenticeship’ before earning a union membership – twice, in fact –I have worked a similar start to a career to other professions. Surely, this makes me easier to employ?
Three years ago I was working as a Background actor on movies, and constantly viewed the union performers - that had to be employed as a matter of production agreement- with envy. After all, they were earning two-and-a-half times more than me per hour, had their own professional ‘corner’ (or found one) in Holding, and ate better food. Who wouldn’t want to be like that?
As a child, my Father was a union member, and voted Labour in any election as a matter of course. Although my Mother complained during times of stress that ‘The only time he ever heard from the union was when they wanted him to strike for someone else’s rights.’, he took this right to unionize and bargain collectively as something the working class had to do to offset Employer’s powers. Although we are living in different times, the proof that I see after a generation of living in the entrepreneurial, business-friendly, Mega-Corporation-run, North America of the successful promotion of a new global Serf Class, convinces me that Unions are more required than ever. Perhaps, less picaresquely, in this industry, you must be part of a union to earn a living – and it has always been this way.
When I left Drama School in the UK, we understood that we had to be paid professionally for a total of sixteen weeks (A Repertory season!) for an apprenticeship before applying for Full Union status. I made it in six months, luckily, but the system certainly winnows out those that don’t ‘have it’ or can’t afford to take the life seriously. In Vancouver, being Film based, three professional credits are enough to secure a membership. Once again, with some good luck, I completed this ‘apprenticeship’ in six weeks, but I know that for many, the struggle is too much for various reasons. However, last Summer was more stressful than I imagined it was going to be.
It is obvious from my Agent’s point of view that if the majority of work in town is in Non-Union commercials, my choice to go Union was self-defeating. Although there was no push-back on my joining, I definitely didn’t feel much encouragement. Obviously, changing this working situation is of paramount importance to me now that I’m ‘inside’. The cost to join was also high, and I remember thinking cavalierly that it didn’t matter how long I was unemployed, spending my funds when I was relatively ‘flush’ on this was worth it in the long run. Fast forward a non-working year later, I still feel this way.
So what have I achieved? From my position, there is no longer a reason not to succeed in my dreams: ‘to earn a living in the field I have trained and apprenticed in’. Whatever excuse I had for not succeeding has gone. I am now in the running for large, character-driven roles that can only lead to more work and more money. The most recent auditions I have been to have been populated by big names in this market, so I feel as if I have made a step forward, but so has the non-paying workload.
At present, I am ploughing through By-Laws, Agreement details, and Union Constitutions to find my own place within the Union, its expectations from me as well as vice-versa. I’ve attended some meetings, and intend to go to more in order to ensure that this working class, socialist-leaning professional can fully understand the entire industry and what deals we can collectively make to ensure our professionals can work more and better. In short – to be treated as the professional I claim to be.
