AFTRA is an acronym that stands for
the American Federation of
Television and Radio Artists. AFTRA
is a labor union that represents
over 70,000 actors, artists and
journalists. The American Federation
of Television and Radio Artists is
the most expansive of all actor
labor unions. Not only does the
union represent television and
commercial actors, it covers
personalities who work on talk shows
and game shows, instant celebrities
who perform on reality television
shows, musicians who record CDs and
singles, and news broadcasters who
report the news, weather and sports.
AFTRA even represents performers who
speak in educational media and
software, such as CD-ROMs.
How Does AFTRA Help Actors?
Like the other major
actor labor unions (the Screen
Actors Guild and the Actor’s Equity
Association), the American
Federation of Television and Radio
Artistsrepresents actors in
show-business by enforcing
collective bargaining agreements,
negotiating contracts and payment
rates, and provides benefits and
services to help actors advance
their careers.
Benefits Include:
AFTRA
negotiates the minimum rates at
which their members must be paid.
Helps to
resolve labor-related disputes
between talent and their
employers.
Comprehensive health benefits,
dental plans, prescription drug
benefits and substance abuse
programs for members
Retirement
benefits
Alerting
members to potential opportunities
How Do I Join AFTRA?
Unlike
the other major actor unions, the
American Federation of Television
and Radio Artists is an "open
union", which means it is very easy
to join. Other actor unions require
actors to work in union-recognized
productions, in addition to the
payment of fees, prior to being able
to join. However, with AFTRA, actors
need only pay a fee to join.
