Pay Dues and/or Initiation

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If you have been offered an AGVA contract, you are now eligible for the many protections, benefits and advantages of AGVA membership. You will be supplied with an AGVA Membership Kit and AGVA Application form which must be completed and submitted to AGVA. For further information about this, please call the AGVA Membership Department at 212-675-1003 ext. 104 or contact the Membership Department at Trivera@agvausa.org.

You may also join AGVA if you are in Independent Variety Artist and Self-Produce shows and appearances. If you would like to join AGVA without an AGVA Agreement, contact the membership department for an application.  You will submit your resume as well as promotional materials and professional references and reviews of your work for consideration by the membership committee.
 

If you are working under an AGVA contract in a Right-To-Work State, which does not require you to join the union in order to work under an AGVA contract, you are eligible and may still choose to join AGVA.
 

The Advantages of Joining AGVA:

• Working conditions: The Union, in accordance with industry standards, sets and enforces salary minimums as well as conditions of employment such as rehearsal hours, overtime payments, safe and sanitary work conditions and travel and housing for tour contracts.
• Financial protection: AGVA requires that all producers post a  salary bond through our bonding secretary before beginning rehearsals. In this way, each Artist is insured his or her salary regardless of the financial state of their production.
• Health Insurance Benefits:  The AGVA Welfare Trust Fund in New York provides medical coverage while employed under our contracts provided the employer makes the required contributions to the Fund. Summary of the various plans will be in your welcome packet or here under the Welfare Trust Fund tab. 
• Financial assistance from the AGVA Sick & Relief Fund: The Margie Coate Sick and Relief Fund offers emergency financial aid to members in need. Contact Darlene Frank for consideration (212) 675-1003 ext.102 in New York or Steve Rosen in Los Angeles  (818) 508-9984
• Eligibility to join AGVA’s sister Unions: You may crossover to AEA, AGMA or SAG-AFTRA after being a member in good standing for one year, performed a Principal role under and AGVA agreement, and your initiation fee and dues are paid in full, Please contact your AGVA representative for more information. 
• The right to audition separately at exclusive AGVA auditions: AGVA represents performers in a wide variety of shows presented by Radio City Entertainment, Disneyland Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, Cirque du Soleil and numerous Broadway and Off-Broadway shows in New York and Regional theaters across the country. AGVA members may also work under Casual club date contracts for Cabaret performances.
• The pride of working professionally and the security of knowing you have strength in unity. AGVA represents and protects our Membership and strives to serve our Members throughout their careers.

Joining AGVA requires a one-time Initiation fee of $750.This fee must be paid in full no later than 30 days after your first day of work under an AGVA agreement unless you have been offered and executed a deduction rider by your Employer. 

AGVA does not assess weekly "working dues", which other unions take out of their Members' pay checks on a weekly basis.  Working dues are generally in addition to annual basic dues, however, the only dues assessed by AGVA are those billed three times annually based on the earnings chart below.  Members can have their annual dues paid through payroll deduction, instead of paying when billed.  You have the use of your earnings but are responsible to pay your dues when they are billed.  Dues are assessed yearly, and invoices mailed each April 1st, August 1st, and December 1st. Dues rates are based on your previous year's AGVA earnings.  PLEASE KEEP YOUR MAILING ADDRESS UP TO DATE WITH AGVA BY EMAILING THE MEMBERSHIP DEPARTMENT. trivera@agvausa.org

Please remain current because if your dues are not paid in full, you will not be eligible to work under any AGVA contracts.

The dues schedule listed below indicates earnings (up to and including) upon which your dues are based, amount of dues to be remitted each billing period and the cumulative yearly amount. 

AGVA dues periods

April 1st, August 1st, December 1st

1. $0 - 4,999=$72/year ($24x3)

2. 5,000 - 9,999=$96/year ($32x3) 

3. 10,000 - 14,999=$132/year ($44x3)

4. 15,000 - 24,999=$234/year ($78x3)

5. 25,000 - 34,999=$540/year ($180x3)

6. 35,000 or more=$795/year ($265x3) 

All members must remain active and in good standing after joining AGVA to work under AGVA agreements.  Good standing requires that your Initiation is paid in full and you are current and paid up on your periodic dues. 

Failure to pay your dues will result in suspension of membership. Dues will continue to accrue during your suspension and all past dues must be paid in full to become active again. 

Members in good standing can request their membership to be frozen provided that they have been a member in good standing for a full year with their initiation paid in full and have paid dues through the current dues period. You must send a written request through email or to the national office to request Honorary Withdrawal and the Membership department will send a form to be completed and returned to the office. Honorary Withdrawal will freeze all periodic dues indefinitely or until the member requests reinstatement. There is a $25 reinstatement fee to become active again. 

Thania Guzman

AGVA Director and Administrator of Membership

 212-675-1003 ext. 104 

trivera@agvausa.org