The End
Hollywood loves a happy ending, but reality doesn’t. I know that. Every artist knows that. You don’t do art for money. Money is nice. It helps your art to eat. But the last twenty years represent something insidious for artists. Because of that, I’m ignoring reality or advocating reshaping reality, like a merlin-wizard manipulating time with a wand.
Why is my ambition so Don Quixote?
Art on the Line
I arrived outside NBC in Chicago. I was late. The picket line was in action, round and round. I didn’t want a sign or a T-shirt. I wanted to join, walk, and witness. This was the third strike of my career. None of them had turned out that well for talent, and I wasn’t particularly hopeful this round either.
In 2023, the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike brought Hollywood to a grinding halt, highlighting the ongoing battle for fair compensation in an increasingly digital landscape. Talk about tilting at windmills. Silicon Valley operates in a post-ethics culture. Now, the entertainment industry was following suit.
I’ve made a good living from royalty, mostly on contracts signed before 2007. Post-2007 is an apocalypse, and this is where things get confusing.
I’m looking at two lanes: 1. Community Theater, and 2. Broadway. Separating the two is essential because mixing them up makes a mess, so let’s define the terms.
Community theater is beautiful. People join together for art, putting in all that work to create something from the heart. I haven’t done much community theater, but my friends love it and use it to express their art. It’s a communal commitment to beauty, music, and performance, a group coming together for expression. You can’t beat it.
Broadway is putting butts in the seats, ticket prices in the hundreds, eight-day-a-week professionalism, curtain at 8, unions, SRO success, long runs, and money in the bank.
Two different worlds with two different needs. This article is about #2—Broadway World, the world of professional art. There is such a world. It’s vital to our economy. It makes money. It’s profit. That’s important to keep in mind.
I make these distinctions because others do not. There’s a crusade out there to break the professional ranks and free corporate interests to use professional art in any way they want. I believe the end game is the destruction of copyright, which is a great inconvenience in the plans of some Silicon Valley businesses.
So please understand that what I am writing is not addressed to the ‘democratization of creativity’ crowd. It’s about creatives who make a living with skills at the highest level and who put in the time to take their art into the upper echelons of artistic achievement. It’s rarified air, and most don’t get there. Still, those who produce revenue in the millions for corporations, brands, and governments need their work compensated fairly and protected from misuse.
I’m not walking in circles outside NBC on a fine spring day for the benefit of all artists but for the protection of working artists. However, the beautiful thing about our little line picket is the halo effect of protecting all artists. Because ultimately, wouldn’t it be great to make money from your art? Ultimately, it’s about The End: the end goal of your life, career, health, and family.
Musicians Set the Beat
My very first union card was Local 802. You know those guys. Every time you go to a show, they play the songs, dances, and overtures in the pit. They’re ticking the air with live music, setting an audience’s pulse. They are essential, and holding that Local 802 card meant everything.
It defined a career, a path, and security for my family. But more than anything, it meant that if people profited from my work, I was fairly compensated. That is what it is about. This is not about somebody dropping beats onto Spotify. This is about a creative engine that turns a profit. Actors, writers, musicians. The world’s professional money-making creativity dies without them. They need to be paid.
Musicians have faced their struggles, with royalty disputes erupting as streaming services dominate the market. Silicon Valley had no intention of fair compensation or copyright protection; they just wanted a revenue stream into the pockets of executives with low costs and rocket-fueled profits.
In both cases, unions played a pivotal role, advocating for artists, creators, and performers who often find themselves at the mercy of a rapidly evolving entertainment industry. Their role in securing fair compensation is a reassuring beacon for creative professionals. Who else has the organizing platform to advocate against Big Pockets? Since the Reagan presidency, unions have been under attack. Unions get in the way. Unions are rude. Unions don’t do what they’re told. They put workers first. Nothing charges me up more than my brothers and sisters. We are a force—a mosquito bite on the the big butt of fancy-executives. We don’t want to go away. But we need more than we have. We need working artists of every generation to join us.
As the digital economic crunch comes in greater force, the disruption strikes at the heart of our health and family, and unions have become indispensable for voiceover artists, musicians, and writers, offering more than just financial protection. As the entertainment industry grows more complex, particularly with the rise of digital platforms and artificial intelligence, the need for structured advocacy has never been greater. Unions secure fair wages and protect creative rights, ensuring that artists maintain control over their work.
Put this simply: How do you do that on your own? You don’t. And that is Big Tech’s whole point: To isolate us into single units to simplify exploitation, to re-package every aspect of our humanity, to monetize us, like those hairless bodies in the Matrix movie—wired in and pumping Big Profit into the pockets of an elite super-class.
From negotiating fair royalties for streaming to establishing standardized rates for voiceover artists working in new media, unions provide a collective voice for those who might otherwise be unheard.
This is heresy in Silicon Valley's promoted Creator Economy. Creativity is for the People! Copyright is the Devil! The Democratization of Creativity is Free Speech!
It’s free, I’ll give you that, but free doesn’t pay the rent or feed your family, and even if you’re successful in the new lanes of the creator economy, you’re working long hours on your own with no protection. It’s a rough world out there. What chance do you have?
It comes down to this: When creative industries undergo seismic shifts, unions offer stability, collective power, and the ability to negotiate better terms, ensuring that artists and creators aren’t left behind in the race for technological advancement. AI is a fascinating tool, but the price can’t be the artist’s livelihood, and the only people who think it doesn’t matter are people who are not artists. That’s my bottom line.
Unions serve as an essential buffer, bridging the gap between rapidly changing technology and the need to preserve the livelihoods and rights of the people who fuel the creative economy. It’s an alliance we need now, not a relic from some other time. And it’s an alliance forged in hell as far as some technology enterprises are concerned. The harsh truth right in front of our faces is the principles of disruption have been replaced by the principles of exploitation on every platform in the entertainment industry, from video games to television to music to novels. Be careful of what you see in response to pro-union posts and collective bargaining advocacy. Be aware of who holds the power in our social media discourse and who has the whip hand.
Pasta Intentions
Early in the 20th century, four men had dinner in an Italian restaurant on a gaslit street on the lower East Side of New York City. They were all composers and had some success getting their songs published and played. But they wanted something else. They wanted to be paid every time those songs were played. Outlandish! They formed the American Society for Composers and Performers (ASCAP) and created a fair compensation system for artists. It worked.
The rise of unions in the creative industries began when artists, writers, and performers realized the need for collective representation. SAG-AFTRA, the Writers Guild of America (WGA), and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) were born out of this realization, as these professionals sought protection from exploitation in a largely unregulated industry. ASACP. BMI, GEMA, and PRO chase royalties globally and ensure fair use of an artist’s work. SAG-AFTRA, founded in 1933, was one of the first to unite actors under a single banner to advocate for fair wages, healthcare benefits, and better working conditions. Similarly, the WGA emerged from the struggles of screenwriters who faced unequal pay and lack of recognition for their contributions to films and television. The AFM, founded in 1896, was essential in establishing performance and recording standards for musicians, particularly as radio and recording technology reshaped the music landscape.
Just like getting my Local 802 card marked a milestone in my career, joining a performance royalty society did. My music has been played globally in hundreds of countries and translated into dozens of languages. How can I track all that on my own?
We need these artist organizations. They are our voice. If you ever hope to buy a house, have decent healthcare in America, or, even more critically, a pension, you want to help strengthen unions. The democratization of creativity is actually in the unions. A strong union can build a strong career.
The advent of unions did more than fight for pay—they fundamentally changed how creative professionals were treated in an industry that often saw them as disposable. From standardizing contracts to guaranteeing residual payments for re-runs and re-broadcasts, these early unions laid the groundwork for a far-reaching movement in entertainment and media.
It’s not history. It’s the last call I got from a producer who told me they only have $500 for the fee. Okay, fair enough, except it’s not fair. Its exploitation. Why do I see it that way? Because some of these businesses make massive profits from our work. How is THAT fair? Artists should be under-compensated because why? Are they too talented?
I have had a career that has spanned every aspect of the television industry, from advertising to television to video games, publishing, animation, radio, and albums; I’ve worked on both sides. I’ve been to the houses of CEOs in the fancy hills and the studios of players in Bushwick. I’ve seen artist exploitation firsthand, and it’s ugly. It needs fixin’. So I pick up my lance and take dead aim at windmills.
I know I’m a voice in the wilderness, but that’s okay. I like the wilderness. I’ve spent a lot of time here. Every artist has, but the time of disposable art must end. We must end it to benefit both corporations AND workers in the trenches. A myopic vision of our human future that involves corporations taking all the profit is deeply flawed. We need each other. Our economy is fire when we all work together. It really shouldn’t be Netflix vs Disney vs SAG-AFTRA. LA is a ghost town with that type of thinking.
I’m naive. I like being naive. I’ve had my fill of lawyers and executives tightening the lanes and saying I should make it work for myself on their terms. I can’t. Nobody can. Artists in this economy are like the toothpaste in a tube getting squeezed out on all sides. Healthcare? No government healthcare! No union healthcare! You figure it out. Only we can’t figure it out. Not on our own, we can’t.
SETTING STANDARDS
Throughout the decades, unions in the creative fields have played a pivotal role in setting the standards that define the industry today. SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and AFM have consistently pushed for minimum pay scales, fair working conditions, and protections from exploitative contracts. These unions were instrumental in securing essential rights, such as health and pension benefits, limits on working hours, and the right to residuals—ensuring that creative professionals are compensated whenever their work is repurposed or redistributed across different media.
The entire industry works better. Every contract doesn’t need to be a negotiation. Producers can make accurate budgets. Defined working hours make for more efficient productivity. Work rules make us all safer. A lot of this stuff is about respect. Don’t exploit.
If the only way you can get your movie or game made is by exploiting talent, maybe you shouldn’t make your game. Non-union is often a lousy business plan. The brutal hire-to-be-fired syndrome endemic in the technology sector is testimony to ill-thought-out plans and goals.
IP is Key
Unions protect creative control and intellectual property rights, ensuring creators have lanes to retain ownership of their work. This is a critical issue in a world where ‘content’ is frequently repackaged for new platforms. I got nailed this way when producers told me YouTube was just a ‘promotion.’ Years later, with billions of plays in my pocket, my royalty from YouTube is non-existent. I see our shows bracketed by paid ads. Nobody goes to these shows to watch ads. Our work drives the revenue engine, but we don’t see a penny.
Is that a sustainable economic model? For anybody? Compensation models exist. Why can’t we use them?
Union contracts guarantee standard rates for voiceover artists for commercials, animated series, and video games. At the same time, musicians benefit from collective bargaining agreements that establish session rates and protect against unfair licensing practices. Writers, too, benefit from union-negotiated contracts that ensure they are paid fairly for streaming content, a rapidly growing sector of the entertainment economy.
Without unions, there would be no formal structure governing the fair treatment of creative professionals, leaving them vulnerable to the whims of production companies, record labels, and media conglomerates. Unions serve as both advocates and enforcers, constantly renegotiating terms to reflect the changing dynamics of the industry.
ARTISTS WIN
The early years of unions in the creative sectors were marked by significant challenges, many of which highlighted the uphill battle for fair treatment. One of the most defining moments was the Hollywood Blacklist of the 1940s and 50s when writers, actors, and directors were targeted for suspected communist sympathies. Artists have always been the low-hanging fruit for politicians and corporations, often in league with each other. When Congress was trolling for votes, the WGA stood firm, defending the creative freedom of its members while fighting back against blacklisting practices that sought to silence political dissent in Hollywood. Without the WGA, it would have been a writer vs. government. Writer vs. corporations. Who wins in that scenario?
Strikes have played a significant role in shaping union power. For instance, the WGA’s strike in 1960 resulted in one of the earliest agreements on residual payments for films shown on television. This massive victory set the precedent for how creators would be compensated.
The AFM has also had its share of pivotal moments, particularly in the 1940s, when it staged a two-year recording ban to protest the advent of recorded music replacing live performances. The ban resulted in a significant gain for musicians, ensuring they were compensated when their work was used in new media formats.
These challenges reinforced the critical importance of union representation in the creative industries. By standing together, voiceover artists, writers, and musicians have overcome exploitation and built a more equitable industry where creative work is valued.
What is the value? The value is that without creative workers, work would not exist. No ROI, no stock distribution, no economy, no big houses in the Hollywood hills. We need to get this straight because there was a time when we had it worked out. The equation has not changed. The math is the same. If you profit from an artist’s work, the artist needs to be fairly compensated and protected.
We’re not talking rocket science.
Does Freelance Mean Free?
The proliferation of the gig economy has reshaped the landscape for voiceover artists, musicians, and writers, leading to increased flexibility and heightened insecurity. Sure, you can work in your pajamas. Yipee. You can also build websites, invest in technology, make cold calls, send out invoices, chase clients, make a zillion calls to get paid, and be out of pocket on costs. Freelance is you’re on your own. Believe it.
Platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and social media channels have made it easier than ever for freelancers to connect with potential clients. Yet, this shift has also created a “race to the bottom,” where creatives are often forced to underbid one another to secure jobs. The nature of freelance work means these artists are primarily responsible for their marketing, contract negotiations, and health insurance—a daunting task when job stability is uncertain.
For voiceover artists, musicians, and writers, the rise of freelance work often means juggling multiple contracts without guaranteeing long-term employment. That’s not new, but what is new is the amount of talented people trying to do all this without any protection whatsoever. That’s a two-way street. As a producer, I’ve had situations where the talent held me up with clients in the room. Pay more, or I walk. It’s become Dodge City out there, which favors the corporations much more than the talent.
The traditional protections of full-time work—health benefits, pensions, and stable income—are often absent in the gig economy. This leads to a precarious position for many creatives, who must continuously hustle for their next paycheck while also trying to ensure their work is valued fairly. As freelance opportunities grow, so does the potential for exploitation, making union representation more critical. It becomes a field of opportunity for corporations as they harvest the cheapest talent. As I said, it is a race to the bottom.
Union as a Safety Net
Amidst the uncertainties of the gig economy, unions have emerged as an essential safety net for freelance creatives. Organizations like SAG-AFTRA, the WGA, and AFM have adapted to the new freelance-heavy landscape by offering protections freelancers typically don’t receive from clients or gig platforms. Union contracts, for example, set minimum rates for different types of work, ensuring that freelancers are paid reasonably regardless of market competitiveness. Additionally, union members have access to health insurance, pension plans, and other benefits that are nearly impossible to secure independently in the gig economy.
For freelance voiceover artists, unions like SAG-AFTRA establish standardized contracts that protect against non-payment and ensure that performers receive residuals for reused work across platforms. Musicians who belong to the AFM benefit from agreements that guarantee fair wages for live performances, recordings, and sessions, while the WGA ensures that writers—whether working on a freelance basis or as part of a larger project—receive compensation that reflects the true value of their work, mainly when it is used in new media formats like streaming services.
IP will grow and migrate to other platforms. We live and work in a transmedia global marketplace. And we have the technology to track the routes as they multiply. Borders define unions, but they don’t have to. I fail to see why an artist in South Asia is subject to the crushing exploitation of American companies. At the same time, American artists are crushed on the other end by rising prices, a no-hold-barred economy designed solely for the benefit of an elite class. What kind of future is that?
Unions not only provide financial security but also offer legal protections that freelancers might otherwise struggle to access. Whether navigating complicated contract negotiations or ensuring payment for work delivered, unions act as a buffer between individual creatives and the corporations that seek to profit from their labor.
Exploitation
Exploitation in the gig economy has become an all-too-common issue for voiceover artists, musicians, and writers, with stories of non-payment, rights abuses, and undercutting flooding creative industries. Fortunately, unions have consistently stepped in to combat these unfair practices. For instance, SAG-AFTRA has actively pursued cases where voiceover artists were denied proper compensation for their video games and animated series work, negotiating settlements and ensuring that these artists receive residuals for reusing their voice recordings.
In the music industry, the AFM has fought against exploitative recording contracts and unfair licensing deals that often leave musicians without adequate compensation when their work is streamed or used in commercials. They’ve taken action in cases where artists have not been paid their due share for online streaming royalties, holding major platforms accountable for the revenue they generate from creative works. Similarly, the WGA has taken a stand against unfair contracts that force writers to accept lower payments or relinquish creative control in the digital age.
One notable example is the WGA’s successful campaign to protect writers after the streaming boom. This campaign ensured that residual payments were updated to reflect the new reality of content being available perpetually online. This intervention helped prevent writers’ work from being devalued simply because it was hosted on a streaming platform instead of broadcast on traditional television.
By addressing these systemic issues, unions ensure that the freelance, gig-based workforce is not left vulnerable to exploitation and continue to advocate for the fair treatment of all creatives, regardless of how the industry evolves.
Impact of Digital Platforms
The advent of digital platforms like Netflix, Spotify, YouTube, and Audible revolutionized how ‘content’ is consumed—and how revenue is generated for creatives. While these platforms offer artists, writers, and musicians unprecedented global reach, they have also disrupted traditional revenue streams. The shift from physical sales and broadcast licensing to streaming royalties has drastically changed the financial landscape for voiceover artists, musicians, and writers. Instead of earning upfront payments or residuals based on syndication or reruns, many creatives are now compensated based on complex algorithms that determine streaming rates—often resulting in significantly lower payouts.
I understand the difference between this new world and the old. Streaming is not sales. When I discuss this with my musician friends, I always tell them not to stream their music. There is no return worth pursuing, and exposure is washed down. I advocate more music sites like Bandcamp that implement a sales model based on community.
For musicians, services like Spotify have led to songs needing millions of streams to generate modest earnings. And when I say modest, I mean it: a thousand streams equals $2.58. If you sell three songs for a buck a piece, you’ve beat Spotify. If you pay a buck or listen for free on Spotify, people will always go the free route. The bottom line is that Spotify is giving away your music, so it’s tough to justify that, even if my name is Taylor Swift.
Similarly, writers and voiceover artists working on digitally distributed projects often earn far less than they would through traditional media channels. The shift to digital-first content has diluted individual bargaining power, making it harder for freelancers to advocate for fair compensation. Without unions advocating for transparent and equitable payment structures, creatives face an uphill battle in ensuring their work is fairly valued in a digital world where ‘content’ is commoditized for the benefit of a corporate elite. From my unwashed perspective, monetized content pays for country club membership for people who can’t play a one-string guitar, let alone sing a song people want to whistle.
Fair Pay in the Digital Age
Things are moving fast. The technology reinvents itself every 18 months. Yesterday’s metaverse is tomorrow’s AI. In this rapidly evolving digital landscape, unions have become critical in securing fair pay for creatives working across online platforms. As streaming services grow in prominence, unions have had to negotiate entirely new models for residuals and royalties, ensuring that the work of voiceover artists, musicians, and writers continues to be compensated fairly despite the changing distribution methods. SAG-AFTRA, for example, has successfully negotiated contracts with streaming platforms that secure residual payments for actors and voiceover artists when their work is available online.
For musicians, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has advocated for fair streaming royalties, working to create agreements with platforms like Spotify and Apple Music that better compensate artists for each stream. Writers, too, have seen the Writers Guild of America (WGA) negotiate higher pay rates for content distributed digitally, especially as more networks and studios pivot to streaming platforms over traditional TV and film. These unions ensure that creatives are not exploited by opaque algorithms and distribution models designed to minimize payments.
Unions also safeguard creative rights in the digital age, ensuring that artists maintain control over how their work is used and distributed across platforms. With the rise of AI-generated content and machine learning tools, securing intellectual property rights and residuals has become even more pressing, and unions remain on the front lines of this battle.
Union Bargaining Power
The strength of unions lies in their collective bargaining power, which allows them to negotiate better wages, benefits, and working conditions for creatives. In industries continuously reshaped by technological advancements and market trends, collective bargaining ensures that individual voiceover artists, musicians, and writers are not left to fend for themselves. By uniting under a shared cause, creatives gain the leverage they need to negotiate with major corporations and platforms, forcing these entities to recognize the value of the content they produce.
Collective bargaining has been especially critical in securing wage increases, residuals, and protections against job displacement in the face of automation and AI. For example, when streaming services like Netflix and Amazon began to dominate the market, the WGA successfully negotiated new pay scales and residual agreements that reflect the ongoing value of ‘content’ available in perpetuity online. Similarly, AFM’s collective bargaining efforts have improved recording session rates, ensuring musicians aren’t underpaid for their work on digital releases.
In industries where technological disruption is constant, the power of a unified voice is essential. Without collective bargaining, creatives would struggle to keep pace with the rapid changes in revenue models, working conditions, and intellectual property rights that continue to shape their livelihoods. Through collective action, unions ensure that creative professionals can navigate these shifts without sacrificing their fair share of the industry’s success.
Protecting IP
Unions play a crucial role in protecting the intellectual property (IP) rights of writers, musicians, and voiceover artists, ensuring their creations are not exploited without permission or compensation. Organizations like the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and SAG-AFTRA work to establish fair contracts that include clear IP ownership and usage guidelines. These unions monitor for unauthorized use, ensuring creators retain control and receive royalties when their work is used. By offering legal support and advocacy, unions safeguard the creative work from being misused by third parties, providing artists with essential security in a digital era where content can easily be copied and distributed without consent.
Advocacy for Creative Control
Unions serve as vital advocates for artists when retaining creative control over their work, particularly in industries where collaborative projects often involve numerous stakeholders. In large-scale productions like films, television shows, or video games, writers, musicians, and voiceover artists may struggle to maintain their creative vision amidst competing interests. Unions negotiate contracts that ensure artists are included in decision-making processes, preventing their contributions from being diluted or misrepresented. This advocacy gives creatives a voice in how their work is used, edited, or transformed, fostering a healthier collaborative environment that respects artistic integrity.
Defending Against AI and Automation
As AI and automation increasingly permeate the creative industries, unions are stepping up to protect artists' jobs and creativity from being overtaken by machines. AI-generated ‘content’ poses a significant threat to the livelihoods of writers, musicians, and voiceover artists, as automation can replicate voices, music compositions, and scripts. Unions like SAG-AFTRA and the WGA are actively negotiating to ensure that human creators are not displaced by AI, advocating for limitations on AI usage and compensation for using artists' likenesses or work in automated systems. These unions are at the forefront of the battle to defend the unique human element in creativity, pushing for regulations that keep artistic innovation in human hands.
Unions at Work
The WGA and Streaming Residuals
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) is a force that secures better compensation for writers in the evolving entertainment landscape, particularly as streaming platforms have become dominant. Traditionally, writers earned residuals from reruns and syndication, but with the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, the old payment models became outdated. In response, the WGA fought for new residual frameworks to ensure writers are fairly compensated when their work is streamed. These efforts led to significant victories, including agreements that provide higher residuals based on global viewership and subscription numbers rather than the lower traditional rates. The WGA's work ensures that writers share in the financial success of streaming hits, offering a more sustainable income model in the digital age.
Musicians and the Fight for Fair Royalties
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) has been at the forefront of fighting for musicians’ rights to fair streaming royalties. With the music industry’s shift from physical sales to streaming, many musicians saw their income drastically reduced, as traditional royalty structures did not adequately account for digital distribution. The AFM has been pushing for legislative reforms and fair contracts that ensure musicians receive a just share of the revenue generated by streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube. By negotiating with labels and tech companies, the AFM aims to improve the financial viability of a career in music in the face of rapidly changing industry dynamics, advocating for transparency in payment systems and equitable compensation for all artists.
The lion’s share of streaming revenues goes to the corporate recording labels. Record companies' exploitation of artists is not new. Artists like Taylor Swift have fought back, but not everybody has the clout of a Taylor Swift.
SAG-AFTRA’s Role in Protecting Voiceover Artists
SAG-AFTRA has played a pivotal role in defending the rights of voiceover artists, particularly in disputes over compensation and working conditions. The union has been instrumental in securing better pay rates for voice actors, who often work on projects like video games, animation, and commercials, which require intensive performance but have historically offered lower pay than live-action roles. Additionally, SAG-AFTRA has advocated for improved working conditions, including limiting vocal strain during recording sessions to protect artists from injury. In notable cases, such as strikes against video game companies, the union has successfully fought for residuals based on sales and performance bonuses, ensuring that voiceover artists receive fair compensation for their contributions to highly profitable projects.
Screaming in a voiceover booth is a thing, and the union did great work protecting artists. The point is video game companies didn’t even think twice about asking V/O talent to scream like bloody orcs for hours at a time. Only collective bargaining got them to change their unsafe workplace practices.
Adapt to New Challenges
Unions continually evolve to meet the demands of new technologies, platforms, and work models in today’s creative industries. With the advent of streaming, the rise of artificial intelligence, and the increase in freelance and gig-based work, traditional compensation and labor protection frameworks are being reshaped. Unions constantly monitor the industries and negotiate new terms reflecting these realities, ensuring their members are compensated fairly and protected from exploitation in this rapidly shifting environment.
The Importance of Union Membership
Joining and supporting a union is more important than ever for creatives. Union membership provides essential protections, including fair pay, safe working conditions, and legal support, which can be difficult for individuals to secure independently. Creatives who join unions benefit from collective bargaining and strengthen the voice of their industries. By uniting under a common cause, artists can ensure their professions remain sustainable and secure in the face of ongoing change.
Union Solidarity and Cross-Industry Collaboration
There is enormous potential for unions across creative industries to collaborate and strengthen their collective bargaining power. As more projects require the integration of various creative disciplines—writing, music, acting, and voiceover—unions can work together to address shared concerns, such as compensation for digital distribution and the impact of automation. By fostering solidarity and cross-industry partnerships, unions can better advocate for artists in negotiations with large corporations and evolving technologies, creating a unified front that supports all creatives.
Conclusion
Unions remain indispensable in today's creative industries. They play a critical role in protecting intellectual property, advocating for fair compensation, and empowering voiceover artists, musicians, and writers. They are the frontline defense against exploitation, technological disruption, and unfair working conditions, ensuring creators retain control over their work and livelihoods.
Creatives must recognize the immense value that unions bring to their careers and the industry as a whole. By actively supporting and participating in union activities, artists can contribute to a stronger, more united community that continues to fight for their rights and safeguard the future of creative professions.
As the entertainment landscape evolves, unions' relevance only grows stronger. They remain the foundation of fairness, integrity, and sustainability within the creative industries, ensuring that artists survive and thrive in a rapidly changing world.
I’ve always believed the primary responsibility of every artist is to leave the craft in better shape than we found it. As a young creative, I greatly benefitted from my predecessors' work. They gave me a path to follow to build my career. It’s time to re-establish those lanes to success in creative careers, and unions have a pivotal role to play if we are to succeed.
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