All of this information is pre-merger and may be outdated or subject to change at any time as SAG-AFTRA works out the details.
Becoming a member
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 member of an affiliated union (with a principal role). For more details and restrictions, see article: Screen Actors Guild rules. The basic categories are:
- Principal performer: Any performer who works as a principal performer for a minimum of one day on a project (film, commercial, TV show, etc.) under 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 work in other SAG or non-SAG productions up to 30 days, during which that 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 first joining SAG, by: paying the initiation fee with the first half-year minimum membership dues, and agreeing to abide by the Guild’s rules and bylaws.
- Background performer: For years, SAG had the “three voucher rule”. After collecting three valid union vouchers for three separate days of work, a background performer (an extra) can become SAG-Eligible; however, employment must be confirmed with payroll data, not vouchers. 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. 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.
- Member of an affiliated union: Members in good standing, for at least one year, of any of the other unions affiliated with the AAAA, 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.
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.[10] All other SAG locals still assess initiation fees at the previous rate. Members from other locales 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 $200,000. Income from $200,000 to $500,000 is assessed at 0.5%, and income from $500,000 to $1 million is assessed at 0.25%. For the calculation of dues, there is a total earnings cap at $1 million. 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.
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.”[11] 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.
However, many actors, particularly those who do voices for anime dubs, have worked for non-union productions under pseudonyms. For example, David Cross did voices for the non-union cartoon Aqua Teen Hunger Force, under the pseudonym “Sir Willups Brightslymoore.” He acknowledged that work in an interview with SuicideGirls.[12] Such violations of Global Rule One have generally gone ignored by the Guild.
Unique stage names
Like other guilds and associations that represent actors, SAG rules stipulate that no two members may have identical working names. An actor whose name has already been taken must choose a new name. Notable examples include Michael Keaton, Michael J. Fox and Emma Stone, whose birth names “Michael Douglas“, “Michael Fox” and “Emily Stone,” respectively, were already in use.
Member benefits and privileges
SAG contracts with producers contain a variety of protections for Guild performers. Among these provisions are: minimum rates of pay, adequate working conditions, special protection and education requirements for minors, arbitration of disputes and grievances, and affirmative action 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 meal breaks required, the minimum wages or “scale” at which performers must be compensated for their work, overtime pay, travel accommodations, wardrobe allowances, stuntpay, private dressing rooms, and adequate rest periods between performances. When applicable, and with due regard to the safety of the individuals, cast and crew, women and minorities shall be considered for doubling roles and for descript and non-descript stunts on a functional, non-discriminatory basis.
The Producers and the 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 Dental, Vision, and Life & Disability coverage included as part of the two plans.[13]
Residuals
The Guild secures residuals 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.