Joining Equity

Becoming a member of Equity is an important step in your career. Membership opens up opportunities and provides rights and benefits, but it also carries responsibilities. There is no single “right time” to join Equity. The decision depends on your career stage and the type of work you are doing.

To join Canadian Actors’ Equity, an artist must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, or hold a visa permitting work in Canada—unless joining through a reciprocal agreement.

You will be required to complete a Membership Application form and, if applicable, an RRSP contributions form.

Why join Equity?

Recognition throughout the industry as a professional artist
Medical and life insurance plans
Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP)
Access to professional work opportunities and notifications through Equity’s eDrive
Support while on contract from Equity staff
Reciprocal agreements with other unions
Voting rights
Discounts through the Member Advantage Program
Participation in a community of professional artists
A voice in shaping the objectives of our member-driven Association

When is the right time to join Equity?

The decision to join Equity is a big step in your professional career.

 

For eligible disciplines, joining at the beginning of a contract gives you access to membership benefits — including expanded medical insurance coverage and RRSP contributions — through the duration of your contract.

Members

  • Contribute 8.25% of weekly fees – of which 6% is contributed to the member’s RRSP and 2.25% is paid in working dues
  • Pay Health and Insurance Benefit premiums for accident & sickness coverage while on contract. Off-contract insurance coverage available the next year if you work a total of 8 weeks the current year

Permittees

  • Pay 8.25% of weekly fees as permittee filing fees to Equity, a percentage of which is used towards a credit on their eventual initiation fee (at a maximum of $400/contract)
  • Pay the equivalent Health and Insurance Benefit premiums for insurance coverage on contract up to 85% of policy maximums for accidental insurance only, with no possibility of off-contract coverage

Why might I want to wait to join Equity?

Joining Equity comes with responsibilities established in Equity’s Bylaws, including the requirement to accept work only on Equity contracts. If you are a new artist, just starting out, that may not necessarily be the best decision for you.

Please note that once you become an Equity member, you will be required to have an Equity contract when working in our jurisdiction and you will not be able to work on non-union productions. There are, however, a number of Equity engagement policies that allow members to work on collaborative and other small-scale projects, even with non-members.

What does it cost to join Equity?

Joining Equity also comes with a $1,200 initiation fee, which can seem daunting for many artists. In continuing to work as a permittee, a portion of the permittee filing fees you pay will be applied towards your initiation fee, allowing you to pay it off gradually as you work. Please note: permit filing fees applied to the initiation fee expire after 3 years.

If you are an ACTRA Full member in good standing, you are eligible to receive a $475 discount to the initiation fee. If you are an AEA member, please let us know when you apply to join Equity.

If I’m eligible to join, is there a time limit to join Equity?

No. Your eligibility to join Equity never expires. However, permit filing fees applied towards the initiation fee expire after three years.

Am I ever required to join Equity?

An artist may be required to join Equity if any of the following apply:

  • The artist has a significant existing professional career in live or recorded performance
  • The artist is a member of Actors’ Equity Association
  • The engagement is in excess of 10 weeks
  • The engagement is on a commercial (CTA/ITA Sector 2) contract
  • The conditions of the collective agreement require the artist to join

Have questions or need more information?

Contact Us

National Office

44 Victoria St, 12th Floor

Toronto, ON M5C 3C4

Phone

416-867-9165 (local)

1-800-387-1856