The Complete Guide to Entertainment Labor Unions
Imagine this – you’re an advertising agency or producer and you’re trying to hire a film actor for your upcoming production. Suddenly, you’re told that you need to be a SAG-AFTRA signatory in order to sign a contract with the actor. What does any of this mean? SAG-AFTRA?
Working with union talent can lead to a lot of questions. Here is the complete guide to Entertainment Labor Unions to help advertisers and producers navigate the process of hiring union talent.
How Do Entertainment Unions Work?
What are entertainment unions, and why do they matter? Great question. Entertainment Labor Unions are necessary for workers to ensure their rights are protected in the film and television industry. Unions protect workers rights to:
Negotiate talent contracts
Ensure minimum salaries
Regular working hours
Health benefits
Paid Holidays
Legal Support
Safer workplaces
Retirement benefits
Entertainment Labor Unions have been around for quite a while dating back to the early 19th century. Since then, they have continued to protect workers in entertainment, negotiating workers’ contracts directly with their employers and protecting their rights for a better quality work environment.
Complete List of Entertainment Labor Unions
When it comes to hiring entertainment talent, you may come across both unions and guilds… So what's the difference? Now let’s dig just a little deeper… unions vs. guild? Simply put, a union is an organization designed to protect specifically employees while a guild is an organization designed to protect independent contractors.
There are many unions and guilds that protect all kinds of workers in the entertainment industry, from actors, producers, and writers to camera, hair, and production design crews.
No matter what kind of talent you want to hire, you will need to understand the union that represents them and their regulations that need to be abided by. To help you navigate the talent-hiring process, here is a complete list of Entertainment Labor Unions and who they represent:
American Federation Musicians
American Federation Musicians-Local 47 is a labor union that protects the rights for all professional musicians in the music industry.
American Society of Cinematographers
The American Society of Cinematographers is a society of cinematographers that come
together to share ideas, advances, and techniques within cinematography.
Art Directors Guild (ADG)
Art Directors Guild this labor union represents professionals in motion picture and television, such as directors, designers, and artists.
Costume Designers Guild (CDG)
Costume Designers Guild is a Local 892 of the International Alliance of Theatrical and State Employees (I.A.T.S.E.). They are a union that represents costume designers and illustrators working in film.
Director’s Guild of America
Director’s Guild of America this guild serves to represent directors in the film and television industry.
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.)
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is a formation of several unions that support employees in the film and television industry.
Location Managers Guild International (LMGI)
Location Managers Guild International is an organization of location professionals, including managers, scouts, vendors, business members, and others.
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild
Make-Up Artists & Hair Stylists Guild is a labor union that protects the interests of artists and hair stylists in the film and television industry.
Motion Pictures Editors Guild
Motion Picture Editors Guild this guild serves the interests of freelance and staff in motion picture film as well as editors and production professionals.
Motion Picture Sound Editors
Motion Picture Sound Editors is an American society formed of sound editors from motion pictures who come together to educate and network their relationships.
Producers Guild of America (PGA)
Producers Guild of America is an organization that represents producers in the film and television industry.
I.A.T.S.E. Local 695
Production Sound and Video Engineers Guild represents professional technicians in the film and television industry, such as video engineers and production sound.
SAG-AFTRA
The Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Televisions and Radio Artists is a labor union that protects the rights of actors, journalists, radio hosts, and other television members.
They recently updated their commercial contract changes, check out our webinar for more details!
Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA)
Set Decorators Society of America is an organization for the decorations within the film and tv industry.
Society of Camera Operators (SOC)
Society of Camera Operators is a membership composed of camera operators, photographers and other professionals.
Teamsters
Teamsters is a labor union representing the working crew of the film and television industry. This includes drivers, warehouse workers, animal keeps, and other essential workers in the industry.
Writer’s Guild of America
The Writer’s Guild of America is an organization created by two different unions; the Writer’s Guild of America, West and The Writers Guild of America, East that represent writers in the film industry.
Conclusion: Hiring Entertainment Labor Union Talent For Your Production
Why is hiring union talent so difficult? Well, it’s not. Here’s the deal– hiring talent from entertainment labor unions isn’t the difficult step, it’s knowing how to navigate the contracts when it comes to work rules and rates. Union contracts are difficult to read and understand, and if you never deal with union talent, even more so. The way residuals are calculated under every contract is different and the rules are complex.
Why is hiring a third party like CMS Productions a good solution? CMS is an expert on union contract rules and regulations and can advise our clients and even save them money by budgeting upfront. We have years of knowledge and experience navigating these contracts. Clients don’t have to take the time to learn the ins and outs or deal directly with the unions.
If you are hoping to work with union talent and aren’t a signatory, CMS Productions would love to help. As a third-party union signatory for SAG-AFTRA (Commercials, Educational / Industrial & Interactive), IATSE, Teamsters, AFM and WGA, we’re happy to assist with helping you hire the best talent for your upcoming production. Contact us today to set up a consultation.