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I've been hearing about unions since about middle school when my mom would talk about them. At the time, there was a union protesting outside a flour mill on the way to my school. Since she works in human resources, sometimes she would complain about the rules and regulations they had that made her job more difficult. It's pretty ironic that I'm now hearing about unions in a much different light. I can see why they are important and I understand that it is expected for me to one day be a part of a union as well. I appreciate that this article put some background to the idea of being in a union.
I was offered my Equity Card with I was a Sophomore in undergrad, and I've been offered it at least yearly in the 8 years since then. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life when I was a 20 year old to not take that card and join the union but I've been extremely happy that I didn't take it then and I haven't taken it yet. I've had a pretty great career to date working non union gigs and I've learned so much that I feel like I'm finally ready to take that plunge and join the union. There is always lots of pressure for young theatre artists to join the union but I think it's important to remember that you have a lot to learn before you are really ready to take that next step. I would not have been ready to take on union jobs when I was 20 and I would not have had the experiences that have prepared me for this next step. So while I support the union and what they start for, I think there is a lot of pressure on younger artists to join the Union but you really have to take the time and consider if you are ready to join since once you've joined Equity you can't take non Union gigs and often you need the non Union gigs to prepare you for the Union ones. There is a lot of caution that young artists must think of before making these decisions and it's nice to see an article that talks about both sides.
This is a nice article. I am inspired by the author's eagerness to make a living in the arts despite the fact that she is not in a union. I think Tyler's comment is really interesting and something important for all young people to consider. It often seems like the only way to make an acceptable living in the arts is to join a union. I think this article really proves that this isn't true. I also think that, as Tyler points out, it may be more hurtful than helpful to join a union with too little experience under your belt. It is great to read an artist's story about how she has not joined a union, yet is still making a living and following her passion. When I graduate and have to one day make a decision about joining a union, I will definitely keep this woman's story in mind.
3 comments:
I've been hearing about unions since about middle school when my mom would talk about them. At the time, there was a union protesting outside a flour mill on the way to my school. Since she works in human resources, sometimes she would complain about the rules and regulations they had that made her job more difficult. It's pretty ironic that I'm now hearing about unions in a much different light. I can see why they are important and I understand that it is expected for me to one day be a part of a union as well. I appreciate that this article put some background to the idea of being in a union.
I was offered my Equity Card with I was a Sophomore in undergrad, and I've been offered it at least yearly in the 8 years since then. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life when I was a 20 year old to not take that card and join the union but I've been extremely happy that I didn't take it then and I haven't taken it yet. I've had a pretty great career to date working non union gigs and I've learned so much that I feel like I'm finally ready to take that plunge and join the union. There is always lots of pressure for young theatre artists to join the union but I think it's important to remember that you have a lot to learn before you are really ready to take that next step. I would not have been ready to take on union jobs when I was 20 and I would not have had the experiences that have prepared me for this next step. So while I support the union and what they start for, I think there is a lot of pressure on younger artists to join the Union but you really have to take the time and consider if you are ready to join since once you've joined Equity you can't take non Union gigs and often you need the non Union gigs to prepare you for the Union ones. There is a lot of caution that young artists must think of before making these decisions and it's nice to see an article that talks about both sides.
This is a nice article. I am inspired by the author's eagerness to make a living in the arts despite the fact that she is not in a union. I think Tyler's comment is really interesting and something important for all young people to consider. It often seems like the only way to make an acceptable living in the arts is to join a union. I think this article really proves that this isn't true. I also think that, as Tyler points out, it may be more hurtful than helpful to join a union with too little experience under your belt. It is great to read an artist's story about how she has not joined a union, yet is still making a living and following her passion. When I graduate and have to one day make a decision about joining a union, I will definitely keep this woman's story in mind.
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