Screen Actors Guild rules
Encyclopedia
The Screen Actors Guild rules (with the SAG card) have evolved since the Screen Actors Guild
(based in Los Angeles, CA) was founded in 1933.
A SAG card is an indication of membership in the SAG union; the design of the card (or at least the color scheme) has changed every six months in recent years.
and it is used to identify a particular SAG member. Typically, the top of the card has the title line "Screen Actors Guild" in a particular font, with the subtitle line:
A logo emblem of the Screen Actors Guild (showing the masks of comedy/tragedy) also appears on some SAG cards. In recent years, dues have been split into two 6-month periods: May-October & November-April.
) could become SAG-Eligible; however, the vouchers are not acceptable proof of employment, and instead, proof must be provided as either: "original paycheck stubs" or an "original activity print-out or report from the payroll company". SAG productions require a minimum number of SAG members be employed as background performers before a producer is permitted to hire a non-union background performer in their production. For television productions, the minimum number of SAG background performers is 19, for commercials the minimum is 40, and for feature films, the minimum is 50. Often, due to the uniqueness of a role, or constraints on the numbers of available SAG performers or last-minute cancellations, those minimums are unable to be met. When this happens, producers
are permitted to fill one or more of those union spots with non-union performers. The non-union performer chosen to fill the union spot is then issued a union extra voucher
for the day, and that non-union performer is entitled to all the same benefits
and pay that the union performer would have received under that voucher. After collecting three valid union vouchers for three separate days of work, a non-union performer then becomes SAG-Eligible. The SAG-Eligible background performer may continue working in non-union productions and is not required to join the Guild before performing in another SAG production as a background performer. According to the FAQ
on the SAG website, this "three voucher rule" is in the process of being phased out.
, and who have worked as a principal at least once in an area of the affiliated union's jurisdiction, and who have been paid for their work in that principal role, are eligible to join SAG. However, in late 2007, representatives of the political group which controls SAG threatened to change this rule, unless another of the AAAA unions, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), agreed to concessions to SAG. AFTRA rejected the demand, but the rule did not change at that time.
Membership dues are calculated and are due semi-annually, and are based upon the member's earnings from SAG productions. The minimum annual dues amount is $116, with an additional 1.85% of the performer's income up to $200K. Income from $200K to $500K is assessed at 0.5%, and income from $500K to $1M is assessed at 0.25%. For the calculation of dues, there is a total earnings cap at $1M. Therefore, the maximum dues payable in any one calendar year by any single member is limited to $6,566.
SAG members who become delinquent in their dues without formally requesting a leave of absence
from the Guild are assessed late penalties, and risk being ejected from the Guild and can be forced to pay the initiation fee again to regain their membership.
Since 2002, the Guild has pursued a policy of world-wide enforcement of Rule One, and renamed it Global Rule One. The political party now in control of the Guild claims that this global policy has enabled it to collect millions in additional residuals for its members and in contributions to the Guild's pension and health plans, but others suggest it has merely led to more production outside the United States, where Global Rule One is interpreted to allow foreign union or non-union local hires to work alongside a few SAG members who are imported under what is deemed a SAG contract.
However, many actors, particularly those who do voices for anime
dubs, have worked for non-union productions under pseudonyms. One prominent example is David Cross
, who did voices for the non-union cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force
under the pseudonym "Sir Willups Brightslymoore." He acknowledged performing for the show in an interview with SuicideGirls.com Such violations of Global Rule One have generally gone ignored by the Guild.
airfare and travel insurance
, adequate working conditions, strict safety requirements, special protection and education
requirements for minors
, arbitration
of disputes and grievance
s, and affirmative action
in auditions and hiring.
breaks required, the minimum wage
s or "scale" at which performers must be compensated for their work, overtime
pay, travel accommodations
, wardrobe
allowances, stunt
pay, private dressing rooms, and adequate rest periods between performances.
, Vision
, and Life
& Disability
coverage included as part of the two plans.
payments in perpetuity to its members for broadcast
and re-broadcast of films, TV shows
, and TV commercials
through clauses in the basic SAG agreements with producers.
Screen Actors Guild
The Screen Actors Guild is an American labor union representing over 200,000 film and television principal performers and background performers worldwide...
(based in Los Angeles, CA) was founded in 1933.
A SAG card is an indication of membership in the SAG union; the design of the card (or at least the color scheme) has changed every six months in recent years.
SAG card details
A SAG card is a wallet-sized membership card,and it is used to identify a particular SAG member. Typically, the top of the card has the title line "Screen Actors Guild" in a particular font, with the subtitle line:
-
-
-
- "Associated Actors & Artistes of America / AFL-CIOAFL-CIOThe American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
".
- "Associated Actors & Artistes of America / AFL-CIO
-
-
A logo emblem of the Screen Actors Guild (showing the masks of comedy/tragedy) also appears on some SAG cards. In recent years, dues have been split into two 6-month periods: May-October & November-April.
Joining SAG
A performer is eligible to join the Screen Actors Guild by meeting the criteria in any of the following three categories: principal performer in a SAG production, background performer (originally the "three voucher rule"), and one-year members of an affiliated union (with a principal role).Principal performer
Any performer who works in a principal or speaking role for a minimum of one day on a project (film, commercial, TV show, etc.) where the producer has signed a producer's agreement with SAG, and the performer has been paid at the appropriate SAG daily, three-day, or weekly rate is then considered "SAG-Eligible." A SAG-Eligible performer may continue performing in any number of both SAG or non-SAG productions for a period of 30 days, during which that SAG-Eligible performer is classified as a "Taft-Hartley". After the 30-day Taft-Hartley period has expired, the performer may not work on any further SAG productions until the performer joins the Guild by: paying the initiation fee, paying the first half-year minimum membership dues, and agreeing to abide by the Guild's rules and bylaws. The SAG-Eligible performers do not lose their eligibility to join the Guild should they choose not to join the Guild immediately, at the expiration of their Taft-Hartley period. However if not part of a union, it is difficult to get a speaking-role (within the scope of the Taft-Hartley law), because the producer can be fined for allowing a non-union actor to deliver a line.Background performer
For years, SAG had the "three voucher rule". Formerly, after collecting 3 valid union vouchers for three separate days of work (after 25 March 1990), a background performer (an extraExtra (actor)
A background actor or extra is a performer in a film, television show, stage, musical, opera or ballet production, who appears in a nonspeaking, nonsinging or nondancing capacity, usually in the background...
) could become SAG-Eligible; however, the vouchers are not acceptable proof of employment, and instead, proof must be provided as either: "original paycheck stubs" or an "original activity print-out or report from the payroll company". SAG productions require a minimum number of SAG members be employed as background performers before a producer is permitted to hire a non-union background performer in their production. For television productions, the minimum number of SAG background performers is 19, for commercials the minimum is 40, and for feature films, the minimum is 50. Often, due to the uniqueness of a role, or constraints on the numbers of available SAG performers or last-minute cancellations, those minimums are unable to be met. When this happens, producers
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
are permitted to fill one or more of those union spots with non-union performers. The non-union performer chosen to fill the union spot is then issued a union extra voucher
Voucher
A voucher is a bond which is worth a certain monetary value and which may be spent only for specific reasons or on specific goods. Examples include housing, travel, and food vouchers...
for the day, and that non-union performer is entitled to all the same benefits
Employee benefit
Employee benefits and benefits in kind are various non-wage compensations provided to employees in addition to their normal wages or salaries...
and pay that the union performer would have received under that voucher. After collecting three valid union vouchers for three separate days of work, a non-union performer then becomes SAG-Eligible. The SAG-Eligible background performer may continue working in non-union productions and is not required to join the Guild before performing in another SAG production as a background performer. According to the FAQ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions are listed questions and answers, all supposed to be commonly asked in some context, and pertaining to a particular topic. "FAQ" is usually pronounced as an initialism rather than an acronym, but an acronym form does exist. Since the acronym FAQ originated in textual...
on the SAG website, this "three voucher rule" is in the process of being phased out.
Member of an affiliated union
Members in good standing, for at least one year, of any of the other unions affiliated with the AAAAAssociated Actors and Artistes of America
The Associated Actors and Artistes of America is the federation of trade unions for performing artists in the United States. The following unions belong to the 4As:* The Actors' Equity Association * The American Guild of Musical Artists...
, and who have worked as a principal at least once in an area of the affiliated union's jurisdiction, and who have been paid for their work in that principal role, are eligible to join SAG. However, in late 2007, representatives of the political group which controls SAG threatened to change this rule, unless another of the AAAA unions, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), agreed to concessions to SAG. AFTRA rejected the demand, but the rule did not change at that time.
Initiation fee and membership dues
Members joining the Los Angeles, New York, or Miami SAG locals are assessed an initial fee to join the Guild of $2,277. At the time of initiation, the first minimum semi-annual membership dues payment of $58 must also be paid, bringing the total amount due upon initiation into the Guild to $2,335. All other SAG locals still assess initiation fees at the previous rate. Members from other locals who work in Los Angeles, New York, or Miami after joining are charged the difference between the fee they paid their local and the higher rate in those markets.Membership dues are calculated and are due semi-annually, and are based upon the member's earnings from SAG productions. The minimum annual dues amount is $116, with an additional 1.85% of the performer's income up to $200K. Income from $200K to $500K is assessed at 0.5%, and income from $500K to $1M is assessed at 0.25%. For the calculation of dues, there is a total earnings cap at $1M. Therefore, the maximum dues payable in any one calendar year by any single member is limited to $6,566.
SAG members who become delinquent in their dues without formally requesting a leave of absence
Leave of absence
Leave of absence is a term used to describe a period of time that one is to be away from his/her primary job, while maintaining the status of employee...
from the Guild are assessed late penalties, and risk being ejected from the Guild and can be forced to pay the initiation fee again to regain their membership.
Global Rule One
The SAG Constitution and Bylaws state that, "No member shall work as a performer or make an agreement to work as a performer for any producer who has not executed a basic minimum agreement with the Guild which is in full force and effect." Every SAG performer agrees to abide by this, and all the other SAG rules, as a condition of membership into the Guild. This means that no SAG members may perform in non-union projects that are within SAG's jurisdiction once they become members of the Guild.Since 2002, the Guild has pursued a policy of world-wide enforcement of Rule One, and renamed it Global Rule One. The political party now in control of the Guild claims that this global policy has enabled it to collect millions in additional residuals for its members and in contributions to the Guild's pension and health plans, but others suggest it has merely led to more production outside the United States, where Global Rule One is interpreted to allow foreign union or non-union local hires to work alongside a few SAG members who are imported under what is deemed a SAG contract.
However, many actors, particularly those who do voices for anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
dubs, have worked for non-union productions under pseudonyms. One prominent example is David Cross
David Cross
David Cross is an American actor, writer and stand-up comedian perhaps best known for his work on HBO's sketch comedy series Mr...
, who did voices for the non-union cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force
Aqua Teen Hunger Force , retitled Aqua Unit Patrol Squad 1 in 2011, is an American animated television series on Cartoon Network late night programing block, Adult Swim, as well as Teletoon's Teletoon at Night block and later G4 Canada's ADd block in Canada...
under the pseudonym "Sir Willups Brightslymoore." He acknowledged performing for the show in an interview with SuicideGirls.com Such violations of Global Rule One have generally gone ignored by the Guild.
Member benefits and privileges
SAG contracts with producers contain a variety of protections for Guild performers. Among these provisions are: minimum rates of pay, first classFirst class travel
First class is the most luxurious class of accommodation on a train, passenger ship, airplane, or other conveyance. It is usually much more expensive than business class and economy class, and offers the best amenities.-Aviation:...
airfare and travel insurance
Travel insurance
Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, financial default of travel suppliers, and other losses incurred while traveling, either within one's own country, or internationally...
, adequate working conditions, strict safety requirements, special protection and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
requirements for minors
Minor (law)
In law, a minor is a person under a certain age — the age of majority — which legally demarcates childhood from adulthood; the age depends upon jurisdiction and application, but is typically 18...
, arbitration
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
of disputes and grievance
Grievance
A grievance is a wrong or hardship suffered, which is the grounds of a complaint.-History and politics:A grievance may arise from injustice or tyranny, and be cause for rebellion or revolution....
s, and affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
in auditions and hiring.
Standardized pay and work conditions
All members of the Guild agree to work only for producers who have signed contracts with SAG. These contracts spell out in detail the responsibilities that producers must assume when hiring SAG performers. Specifically, the SAG basic contract specifies: the number of hours performers may work, the frequency of mealMeal
A meal is an instance of eating, specifically one that takes place at a specific time and includes specific, prepared food.Meals occur primarily at homes, restaurants, and cafeterias, but may occur anywhere. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day...
breaks required, the minimum wage
Wage
A wage is a compensation, usually financial, received by workers in exchange for their labor.Compensation in terms of wages is given to workers and compensation in terms of salary is given to employees...
s or "scale" at which performers must be compensated for their work, overtime
Overtime
Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. Normal hours may be determined in several ways:*by custom ,*by practices of a given trade or profession,*by legislation,...
pay, travel accommodations
Lodging
Lodging is a type of residential accommodation. People who travel and stay away from home for more than a day need lodging for sleep, rest, safety, shelter from cold temperatures or rain, storage of luggage and access to common household functions.Lodgings may be self catering in which case no...
, wardrobe
Costume
The term costume can refer to wardrobe and dress in general, or to the distinctive style of dress of a particular people, class, or period. Costume may also refer to the artistic arrangement of accessories in a picture, statue, poem, or play, appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances...
allowances, stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
pay, private dressing rooms, and adequate rest periods between performances.
The Producers Pension and Health Plans
Performers who meet the eligibility criteria of working a certain number of days or attaining a certain threshold in income derived from SAG productions can join the Producers Pension and Health Plans offered by the Guild. The eligibility requirements vary by age of the performer and the desired plan chosen (there are two health plans). There is also DentalDental insurance
Dental insurance is a type of health insurance designed to pay a portion of the costs associated with dental care. There are several different types of individual, family, or group dental insurance plans grouped into three primary categories: Indemnity which allows you to see any dentist you want...
, Vision
Vision insurance
Vision insurance is a form of insurance that provides coverage for the services rendered by eye care professionals such as ophthalmologists and optometrists. There are many vision insurance companies...
, and Life
Life insurance
Life insurance is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death of the insured person. Depending on the contract, other events such as terminal illness or critical illness may also trigger...
& Disability
Total permanent disability insurance
Total Permanent Disability is a phrase used in the insurance industry and in law. Generally speaking, it means that because of a sickness or injury, a person is unable to work in their own or any occupation for which they are suited by training, education, or experience...
coverage included as part of the two plans.
Residuals
The Guild secures residualsResidual (entertainment industry)
A residual is a payment made to the creator of performance art for subsequent showings or screenings of the work. A typical use is in the payment of residuals for television reruns. The word is often used in the plural form.-Radio and television:The residual system started in U.S. network radio...
payments in perpetuity to its members for broadcast
Broadcasting
Broadcasting is the distribution of audio and video content to a dispersed audience via any audio visual medium. Receiving parties may include the general public or a relatively large subset of thereof...
and re-broadcast of films, TV shows
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, and TV commercials
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
through clauses in the basic SAG agreements with producers.