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Most actors coming to Los Angeles do not have Union affiliation.  The unions that hold jurisdiction over all of Television and Film production are Screen Actors Guild (SAG) or The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).  If you want a job on a show that is signed with one of those Unions you MUST be a member to work on it.  Almost all films and scripted television falls under union jurisdiction (reality programs do not).  Some low budget independent and most student films are non-union and if you do not have a union card, those are the easiest projects to attach yourself to.  
Some links for more information:
Aftra: http://www.aftra.org/benefits/join.htm
SAG: http://www.sag.org/content/guild-information
Those sites will give you the exact requirements for membership but the bottom line is this: If you get an audition for a Union job and book it – you can join the union.  They encourage it – they want to initiation fee and dues.  

The trend in Los Angeles has always been toward youth. There, of course, is no right time to try to make it in Hollywood – everyone does it at their own pace and at the right time for them – but the younger the talent the better it seems. There are hundreds of acting jobs on the Disney Channel alone for young actors, not to mention acting jobs on network television and film. It is an industry that loves the “fresh” and the “new”. Everyone wants to discover the next big thing and when you arrive in Hollywood and get an agent and/or manager and start going out on auditions, you might get many in the same day. You will have to bring changes of clothes and change in office restrooms or your car and run from one part of the city to another. It can get very hectic, but it’s always exciting. When there is little time to prepare for these acting auditions, there are several easy techniques and tools to use to get the most out of each audition. There are ways to prepare for the audition whether you have thirty minutes or three days.