Everything You Need to Know About Film Unions in 2025

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What Are Film Unions?

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If you are involved in the film and video production industry, chances are you have heard of film unions. Much like any other union, film unions are organized groups of workers who come together with the goal of protecting their rights and interests within their industry. Within film, they negotiate with production companies to ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and benefits for their members. By acting as a group, they are able to create more leverage while agreeing to contract terms with large production companies. 

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What Are The Benefits of Being a Member?

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Contract Enforcement

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By working on a “Union” set, you are guaranteed to have a contract that is in agreement with the union’s requirements. This contract will include: Your pay, hours and breaks, safety standards, overtime rules, and dismissal procedures. If the production violates any of the terms in the contract, the union can file a grievance on your behalf. 

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Grievance Support

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If an incident occurs where you may have been treated unfairly, a union representative can assist you with your case. They will analyze your complaint, collect documentation, attempt to mediate the issue with the employer, then take appropriate legal action if needed. This would be done at no additional cost to members as unions have their own legal representatives. 

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Legal Protection & Representation

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In the case of more complex issues such as a wrongful termination, discrimination or unsafe working conditions, members don’t have to hire their own lawyers. Unions have legal resources to handle the case for you. 

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Collective Bargaining 

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In an industry that features a lot of freelance work, it can make a huge difference to have a large group of professionals behind you when dealing with large production companies. Without this, it can be difficult to leverage your position against a producer or studio that may be treating you unfairly since they likely have more financial and legal resources than you. While being a union member, you have more people on your side. 

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Some Film Unions You Should Know About:

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1. IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees)

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Positions: Most crew positions (grip, electric, art dept, wardrobe, editing, audio, etc)

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• Covers “below-the-line” crew (does not include writers, directors, or lead actors)
• Has local chapters by region and department.
• Negotiates working conditions, overtime, safety, benefits.

How to Join:

• Work on union productions as a permittee or day player.
• Accumulate the required number of union workdays (usually 30+).
• Submit documentation and pay an initiation fee and dues to your local.

Website: https://iatse.net

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2. DGA (Directors Guild of America)

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Positions: Directors, Assistant Directors, Unit Production Managers, Stage Managers.

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• Handles contracts, residuals, and creative rights for directors and AD teams.
• Requires significant experience to join (especially for 1st & 2nd ADs).
• Also includes live TV and commercial directors.

How to Join:

• Work on a DGA-signatory production in a covered role (e.g., 2nd AD or UPM).
• Accumulate enough qualifying workdays (often hundreds)
• Submit proof of experience and pay the initiation fee.

Website: https://www.dga.org

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3. SAG- AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists)

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Positions: Actors, voice artists, stunt performers, broadcasters, hosts.

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• Covers all union acting work, including film, TV, commercials, and voiceover.
• Ensures minimum pay, safe stunt conditions, health benefits, and usage rights.
• Large presence nationwide—including in smaller markets like Utah.

How to Join:

• Get hired on a SAG-AFTRA production and receive a Taft-Hartley approval.
• Or: Collect 3 SAG-AFTRA background vouchers on union sets.
• Once eligible, submit proof and pay the initiation fee and dues.

Website: https://www.sagaftra.org

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4. WGA (Writers Guild of America)

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Positions: Screenwriters, TV writers, some digital media writers.

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• Negotiates pay, residuals, credit standards, and protections for writers.
• Covers script development, staff writing, and even some video game writing.
• Must sell or be hired on a WGA-signatory project to qualify.

How to Join:

• Sell a script or get hired on a WGA-covered project.
• Accumulate enough “units” (based on the type and scale of your credited work).
• Apply through the WGA East or West depending on your location.

Website: https://www.wga.org

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5. Teamsters (Motion Picture Division – usually Local 399 in L.A.)

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Positions: Drivers, transportation captains, animal trainers, location managers.

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• A key union on larger sets for moving gear, trailers, cast vehicles, and more.
• Works closely with IATSE on logistics-heavy productions.

How to Join:

• Work as a permittee (non-member) when there’s availability.
• Gain a set number of qualified workdays.
• Submit your application to the local and pay the initiation fee and dues.

Website: https://www.ht399.org

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Potential Downsides of Being in a Film Union

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Being a member of a film union can certainly be a good move for long term career success. It can be great for building stability and protection once you are established in the industry and working on film sets often. However, for beginner filmmakers, it can be more trouble than it is worth. Let’s go over a couple reasons why it may not be worth it for someone just starting out. 

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1. Dues and Initiation Fees.

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• Unions charge initiation fees when you first join (often thousands of dollars).
• You’ll also pay annual dues and a percentage of your income from union jobs.
• This can feel steep if you’re not consistently working union gigs yet.

2. Inability to Work Non-Union Jobs

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• Once you become a member, most unions restrict members from taking non-union work AKA “working off the card.”
• That means you might have to say no to indie or passion projects, especially in smaller markets where non-union work is more common.
• Breaking this rule can lead to fines or suspension.

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3. Difficult to Join

• Some unions (like the DGA or IATSE locals) have strict entry requirements.
• You may need to log dozens or even hundreds of days on union jobs before you’re eligible.
• In markets without consistent union work, breaking in can take time.

Conclusion

Film unions are very important organizations that protect worker’s rights and interests in different productions all across the country. Deciding whether you should join one or not is a very personal decision so make sure to do your research and consider all the factors involved before committing to anything. Although they can certainly be an amazing support system for many industry professionals, you may be at a point in your career where their resources are not needed so holding off on joining could be the right move. Either way, hopefully you benefited from learning more about them and can now flex your union knowledge next time you are on-set!

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