Strike Facts if You’re Not a SAG-AFTRA Member

1. I Risk SAG-AFTRA Membership: The membership application a performer signs when joining SAG-AFTRA states:

“If it is found that I have auditioned for or performed or agreed to perform work for a producer against whom SAG-AFTRA was conducting a strike, my application for membership may be denied at the discretion of SAG-AFTRA’s Board of Directors. If I failed to disclose that I have auditioned for, done, or agreed to do such struck work and I’m admitted to membership, I may be removed from membership in SAG-AFTRA.”

2. I Could Damage My Career: If you want to have a sustainable career as a professional performer, you’ll want to join SAG-AFTRA at some point. Working under our union contracts guarantees you fair wages, safe sets, protection from exploitation and the opportunity to qualify for great health insurance and a solid pension. Working for a company SAG-AFTRA is actively striking, like BBH, can jeopardize your ability to become a SAG-AFTRA member and undermine your efforts to build a successful career.

3. I Can Be Exploited: If advertisers can pay actors less, they will. On union commercials, not only is the session rate higher, but performers are paid residuals for the reuse of their performance. Non-union commercials have no guarantee of secondary compensation. Don’t forget that your talent has demonstrable value to multi-billion dollar corporations who want to sell goods and services.

4. It Hurts My Fellow Performers: Working for companies like BBH on non-union commercials can impact your fellow performers. We’re all in this together, and when talented performers choose to make themselves available for non-union commercials, each individual actor has less value and leverage, creating an ugly race to the bottom that benefits no one (except greedy employers).

If everyone – who has the talent and skill to create effective advertising – refuses to put themselves on sale and undercut their fellow performers, employers like BBH will have no choice but to pay all actors fairly. 

If you’re a performer and want to join SAG-AFTRA someday, don’t audition or accept work for BBH.

Performers who make themselves available or accept work for BBH may be denied membership in SAG-AFTRA in the future.