A Union Man

I have been a member of Actor’s Equity Association (the union for theatre actors and stage managers) since 2012, and I joined SAG-AFTRA (the actors’ union for film, TV, radio, and digital media) in 2016. Being a member of these unions has afforded me the opportunity to make acting my profession and livelihood. Through them I have gained access to health insurance, retirement benefits, workplace protections, and wages that are collectively bargained and, therefore, livable.

It seems that we find ourselves at an inflection point for organized labor, especially in the arts. Our vocations are in jeopardy. And if, like me, you experience your vocation in the true sense of the word - that is, you feel called to do it - then the threat really is existential, and a strike becomes necessary. I salute all of my fellow members of SAG-AFTRA and our Union siblings in the Writers Guild of America, who have been striking for much longer. I stand with you.