New Member Spotlight

"I know many very talented actors that are non-union. But for me, I knew I had to make the transition to joining SAG-AFTRA," said Shane Carson, a new member of the local Communications Committee. "My reasons for joining the union when I did were of a 'personal standards' nature. I was not in a 'must pay' status because, in Michigan, now a 'right-to-work' state, performers are not considered as such.

"My 'personal standards' reasons:

1. Time: I value my time. I honor my time. I realize that time is of limited supply, and it makes no distinction between the wealthy or poor, believer or nonbeliever, hustler or slacker. Therefore, when fellow cast members and I work together, I will honor and value them and their time. I knew that by virtue of joining the union, I could only do SAG-AFTRA projects because of our Global Rule One. So basically, a union project means (for the most part) that the project has a better chance to at least be completed. For a non-union, project, it’s a bit more of a gamble. Hence, time better spent.
2. Professionalism: In my opinion, being a SAG-AFTRA member makes an actor’s profile appear more professional. That mantra — 'perception is reality' — goes for double in the film and show business industry.
3. Money: From what I’ve witnessed and experienced, union actors make substantially more money than their non-union counterparts for the same amount of work being done. Why? Because union actors only work on union productions and receive union-scale pay. This union-scale pay is usually much higher than non-union pay and will often include residuals as well.

"So there you have it folks: I’m a proud, professional, working SAG-AFTRA actor living right here in metro Detroit, Michigan. I hope to connect with many of you."

This item was originally featured in the February 2015 local newsletter.