In 2019, over 240 billion dollars were spent on advertising in the United States. Clearly, a bounty of well-trained actors must be accessible to meet this massive demand. While in recent years, the industry has seen an increase in non-union commercial work, there are still a lot of union commercials being produced. According to SAG-AFTRA, its members earn more than a billion dollars on commercials each year. “More of our members work under the Commercials Contracts than any other SAG-AFTRA contract,” the union asserts.
If an actor lands a union commercial gig and then receives a letter from SAG-AFTRA stating he or she is eligible to join the union, is it better to become a member? Joining a union is a personal decision that has the potential to significantly alter an actor’s career trajectory. SAG-AFTRA opens the doors to higher wages, residuals, protections, potential health and pension benefits, and a fellowship of professional actors. But after paying a one-time $3,000 initiation fee, members are only permitted to work on union projects (however, actors living in “Right to Work” states should find out the specific union laws in their state).
Here is more information about the pros and cons of becoming a union member.
The union establishes rates, guarantees fair wages, and ensures actors are paid on time.
The union negotiates contracts with session fees covering each day of work plus overtime. Penalties are in place for employers who don’t pay talent in a timely manner and who don’t provide sufficient breaks for actors. On the other hand, non-union jobs require actors to essentially fend for themselves in these regards.
Union actors maintain greater control over their brand.
Landing a lot of roles in film and television is certainly advantageous to the actor. However, when it comes to commercials, SAG-AFTRA warns, “Overexposure can damage your career because advertisers won’t hire performers associated with competitive products.” To protect actors, the union offers commercial contracts with residuals and safeguards. Residuals allow a performer to receive payments beyond the shoot day based on how frequently the commercial airs. And union contracts prevent an advertiser from replaying the ad for extended periods of time. Members can renegotiate a fee for continued use of their performance or they can refuse to allow the ad from continuing to play.
On the other hand, non-union jobs generally don’t offer residuals or such protections. In fact, some advertisers might continue to run a non-union ad in perpetuity which can cause conflicts for the actor. SAG-AFTRA explains: “For example, if you do one non-union beer commercial, it could run forever without further payment, and you’ll never do a union commercial for any beverage. Ever.”
Collective loyalty to the union maintains fair rates and helps members qualify for health and pension benefits.
Actors can count on a steady influx of bills every month, but they can’t assume they’ll have a fresh paycheck to pay those bills. After all, most performers are freelancers, finding employment from gig to gig. Thus, it’s understandable that union actors can feel tempted to also pursue non-union jobs. But SAG-AFTRA actually cracks down on members who work non-union jobs, sending them through a disciplinary process that can result in fines, suspensions, or even expulsions from the union. When members accept non-union jobs, it undercuts the community of members by driving industry rates down, jeopardizing their benefits, and weakening collective bargaining power. After all, each time a member works a union job, the production contributes money to the actor’s pension and health plan. Performers can qualify for health benefits and the pension when they retire. On the other hand, while non-union jobs allow an actor more freedom, they provide no such benefits.
Unions require safe working conditions.
Union jobs must maintain professional safety standards and have sufficient production insurance for individuals performing stunts. Alternatively, non-union jobs may not offer effective safety protections and protocols. Performers who become injured on the set of a non-union job may end up being responsible for paying their own medical expenses.
Overall, joining an acting union sends a message you’re a professional who’s invested in your long-term career goals. However, new actors who have not yet garnered many acting credits or enough footage to create a demo reel will likely want to stick with non-union jobs in the beginning. Newbies who find that their main source of auditions is with non-union gigs may want to keep that source of income and keep gaining experience for a while. “When you’re non-union, you can still audition for SAG roles,” says talent manager Wendy Alane Wright. “If you get a [union] role, you will now become SAG-eligible. And that means the next acting job you get that is SAG, you’re going to need to join the union.”
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