SAG-AFTRA facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
SAG-AFTRA

Founded	March 30, 2012; 13 years ago (2012-03-30)
Merger of	Screen Actors Guild American Federation of Television and Radio Artists
Type	Trade union
Legal status	501(c)(5) organization
Headquarters	Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Location	United States
Members	116,741 (active; 2016) 80,440 (other; withdrawn/​suspended; 2014)
President	Fran Drescher
Executive director	Duncan Crabtree-Ireland
Affiliations	AFL–CIO Associated Actors and Artistes of America International Federation of Actors International Federation of Journalists
Staff (2018)	664
Volunteers (2018)	1,150

The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) is a large union for people who work in media. It was formed in 2012 when two groups, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), joined together. This union represents about 160,000 actors, journalists, singers, and other media professionals around the world. SAG-AFTRA is part of the AFL-CIO, which is the biggest group of unions in the United States.

History of SAG-AFTRA

The SAG-AFTRA headquarters building in Los Angeles, California.

How SAG-AFTRA Started

SAG-AFTRA was officially created on March 30, 2012. This happened after the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists decided to merge. At first, there were a few small challenges, but the merger went smoothly. One main goal was to combine their pension funds. This helped performers who had paid into both plans but hadn't earned enough from either one to get a pension.

SAG-AFTRA has its main offices in Los Angeles, California, and New York City. It also has many other local offices across the country.

Screen Actors Guild Awards

The Screen Actors Guild Awards, also known as the SAG Awards, started in 1995. These awards celebrate amazing performances in movies and TV shows. They are now one of the most important awards in Hollywood, like the Golden Globe Awards and the Oscars. SAG Awards recognize both individual actors and the work of the whole cast in a movie or TV series.

Who Belongs to SAG-AFTRA?

SAG-AFTRA has many different types of members. These include actors, announcers, news reporters, dancers, DJs, writers, singers, stunt performers, and voiceover artists.

Joining SAG-AFTRA is a big step for new performers. People usually join after getting their first job with a studio that works with the union. Jobs that are part of SAG-AFTRA are often seen as more important and respected than non-union jobs. Because the union is so big and powerful, most major media companies work with SAG-AFTRA. These companies usually prefer to hire union members.

Most professional actors and media workers in the U.S. who work for big companies are union members. Some members are listed as "withdrawn" or "suspended." This means they can't vote in union matters.

Union Groups and Goals

The union has two main groups, or "factions." One group, called "United for Strength," wants to create more job chances for members. The other group, "Membership First," has sometimes said that the union leaders are too soft when they talk with studios about contracts.

Major Strikes and Protests

Global Rule One

Global Rule One is a very important rule for SAG-AFTRA members. It means that a member must always work under a union contract, no matter where they are in the world.

Simply put, if a company has not signed an agreement with SAG-AFTRA, union members cannot work for them. The union will formally announce when productions are not allowed for members.

Video Game Voice Actor Strike (2016–2017)

In 2016, SAG-AFTRA members went on strike against several video game companies. This happened after about a year and a half of talks about a new contract. The strike started on October 21, 2016. The union wanted a few things:

• More openness in contract talks.
• Protection from vocal stress during long recording sessions.
• Safety for stunt performers in motion-capture studios.
• Extra payments, called residuals, based on how well a video game sold. This was new for the video game industry.

The video game companies worried that giving residuals to actors would make it seem like actors were more important than programmers or artists. This was the first strike for voice actors in 17 years and the first for the combined SAG-AFTRA union. It became the longest strike in SAG history. The strike ended on September 23, 2017, after 340 days, when a new agreement was reached.

Strike Against Bartle Bogle Hegarty

On September 20, 2018, SAG-AFTRA called a strike against an advertising company called Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH). BBH had decided to stop following a contract they had with SAG-AFTRA since 1999. This contract said BBH could only hire union actors. BBH felt this put them at a disadvantage compared to other agencies.

Thousands of SAG-AFTRA members joined protests and rallies across the country. These actions were very successful. For example, 1,000 members and supporters gathered near the SAG-AFTRA headquarters in Los Angeles. On July 20, 2019, SAG-AFTRA ended its 10-month strike. BBH agreed to sign the union's new commercials contract.

Donald Trump Ban

On February 7, 2021, SAG-AFTRA announced that former President Donald Trump was not allowed to rejoin the union. He had resigned from the union three days earlier. The union stated this was because of his perceived attacks on SAG-AFTRA journalists and his support of the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

2023 Strike

People protesting outside the Warner Bros. offices in New York City during the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.

In June 2023, SAG-AFTRA members voted to allow a strike if they couldn't agree on a new contract with major Hollywood studios. Over 300 actors, including Jennifer Lawrence and Meryl Streep, signed a letter supporting a strike. By the next day, over 1,000 members had signed.

Key issues in the talks included:

• Getting residuals (extra payments) based on how many people watched shows on streaming services.
• Limiting the use of self-tape auditions.
• Stopping the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create voices or faces of actors without their permission.

On July 10, 2023, SAG-AFTRA announced rules for the strike. These included no filming, no press interviews, and no social media promotions for actors. The studios, including Netflix, Walt Disney, and Warner Bros, offered a deal worth over $1 billion. This deal included more money for salaries, pensions, and health insurance. It also offered protection for actors' images from AI use. However, SAG-AFTRA refused the deal on July 12, saying it wasn't enough.

Two SAG-AFTRA members protesting outside Warner Brothers Studios.

On July 13, SAG-AFTRA announced that their contract with the studios had ended without a new agreement. The union's leaders voted to strike. The strike began on July 14, 2023. This was the first time since 1960 that both actors (SAG-AFTRA) and writers (Writers Guild of America) were on strike at the same time. The strike lasted almost four months, ending on November 9, 2023. The new deal was approved by 78.33% of voting SAG-AFTRA members on December 5.

Organizing Campaigns

Telemundo

In 2016, SAG-AFTRA said that NBCUniversal, which owns Telemundo, was treating its Spanish-language performers differently from its English-language performers. The union said Telemundo actors were not getting fair pay, breaks, health insurance, or residuals. Telemundo said it was committed to fair pay and conditions.

SAG-AFTRA claimed that Telemundo was trying to stop employees from forming a union. They said workers were afraid to unionize because they feared losing their jobs. In August 2016, Telemundo refused to air an ad from SAG-AFTRA that talked about these issues. Other Spanish-language networks did air the ad.

In March 2016, performers at Telemundo voted secretly on whether to unionize. SAG-AFTRA announced that 81% of eligible voters chose to join the union. On July 12, 2018, SAG-AFTRA announced a new agreement with Telemundo. This was the first time Spanish-language TV performers had such a deal.

The agreement included:

• Health and pension benefits for the first time.
• Residuals (extra payments) for shows shown in other countries and on streaming platforms.
• Guaranteed minimum pay rates for all performers.
• Yearly increases in pay.
• New rules for working conditions and safety, like rest periods and stunt coordination.

This agreement was updated in 2021. It included longer rest periods and more safety rules for auditions.

Social Efforts

In May 2023, SAG-AFTRA teamed up with the Motion Picture Association of America and other entertainment unions. They launched the Green Council Initiative. This project aims to encourage environmentally friendly practices in the entertainment industry. Famous members like Fran Drescher, Cate Blanchett, and Robert Redford are part of this effort.

Leadership History

Before SAG-AFTRA, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) had 28 presidents from 1933 to 2012. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) had 22 presidents from 1937 to 2012.

In 2012, Ken Howard, who was the president of SAG, became the first president of SAG-AFTRA. He worked as co-president with Roberta Reardon, who was the president of AFTRA. After Ken Howard passed away in 2016, Gabrielle Carteris became president until 2021. The current president is Fran Drescher, who was first elected in September 2021 and re-elected in September 2023. Duncan Crabtree-Ireland has been the National Executive Director since 2021.

See also

In Spanish: SAG-AFTRA para niños

• ACTRA – A similar Canadian organization for English-speaking performers.
• Union des artistes – ACTRA's French-speaking equivalent.
• National Association of Actors – A similar organization in Mexico.