But now two major entertainment industry unions are locked in a battle over that work, with compensation, health insurance, and even permission to perform at stake.
Friday, October 09, 2020
There’s Not Much Work for Actors. Now Their Unions Are Fighting.
But now two major entertainment industry unions are locked in a battle over that work, with compensation, health insurance, and even permission to perform at stake.
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I will admit that I do know that much about theatrical unions and the way they work. However, reading this article it seems as if there is a fair amount of tension between them. I have read a previous article about Equity's changes in providing health insurance and I know that they are struggling. One would think that as they are sister unions they would support each other but it seems like they are actively competing. I feel like during this time and in the long run, this isn't beneficial to anyone in the industry. It seems strange also that stage managers have lost their benefits as the unions compete. I personally believe that it would be in the best interest of both unions to work together as they can help advocate for their members together and support each other at the very least financially. It is a very difficult time for those who work in the arts and I hope that a system of support not competition is built/
What is insanely frustrating for me is that both unions know that their members are struggling to find work right now. All they are doing is making it harder for everyone involved to get insurance, maintain insurance, or even maintain good standing in their union. Stage managers especially being left out is a kick in the teeth. I challenge you to find any theatrical company in the country that feels stage management is unimportant. Just because the title “stage manager“ doesn’t directly apply to a job in the film industry doesn’t mean that they should be left out of any union negotiations or deals. Who is filling their role when these performances are being streamed? What is their role being replaced with if these are a streamed service and not “theater”? SAG-AFTRA should realize how easy it is to have competing unions join forces and become something stronger.
It seems as if everyone involved is understandably frustrated with the situation they are in. Although Actor’s Equity wants to pay the actors for performing in streamed productions, that is not their territory. They need to let SAG-AFTRA handle the streamed productions. Although society has completely broken down due to the pandemic, these unions should not be wasting their time whining about who should be representing who. As for the stage managers who cannot work on the streamed productions, I think SAG-AFTRA should simply extend their protections to stage managers as this would be the easiest solution to fixing their issue. Stage managers are needed on in-person productions, streamed productions, even for TV shows and movies. There is no apparent reason as to why they cannot simply be added to the list of people that SAG-AFTRA protects. Although insurance may be an issue for the actors and stage managers, I think that these two unions should simply work together to help pay into the actors and stage managers' health insurance.
This is a moment in which the united and steady presences of the unions are absolutely critical. The government is failing the arts community on an astronomical scale, so the presence of unions for arts folks to be able to depend on means so much. Each member of the unions are leaning in the support of the unions to navigate insurance, virtual performances, and maintaining good standing with their unions, when there are so few opportunities for work at this time. This is a moment for the unions to take the high road and work together to support their members. There is an opportunity for the unions to come together and use their collective bargaining powers to make it easier for their members to bring their members a sense of security in their membership, navigation of virtual and COVID safe work, and insurance and personal security. I hope that they are able to come together and unite for their members.
In "normal" times, there would be a clear boundary between the jurisdictions that each of these unions preside over. However, we all know that these are not normal times and are hugely unprecedented in any of our lifetimes. Over the past few months, when federal and state governments have failed to step up to bring necessary aid to workers, unions have become massively important. Artists in the theatre industry are struggling to find work, and may only be able to find it within the jurisdiction of another union. Reading this article, it was somewhat unclear if there was one certain group "in the wrong" between Actors' Equity and SAG-AFTRA. The one thing that I can say for certain (as my own opinion) is that if SAG-AFTRA is employing all other theatrical artists in some virtual manner, then stage managers (who should not be left out to begin with) should also be employed. As for insurance matters, I am not nearly knowledgeable enough on the situation to make form an educated opinion. However, I agree with Jake above: I see no reason why these unions cannot work together to try to help the workers as best as possible.
There is a history of live theater being released on tv or digitally after the fact. Hamilton on Disney+ is the latest case, with all the actors being represented by both SAG-AFTRA and AEA. During the pandemic, theaters are working to find new ways to reach audiences, and with performances are being pushed into live streaming. However, the performances are still intended for a live audience, so it seems to me that this is still within the scope of Equity, and that if it was being distributed through a network or movie studio than SAG-AFTRA could be included as well. However, the idea of SAG-AFTRA undercutting Equity and working directly with theaters does not sit well with me and the fact that stage managers are being left out is definitely a problem. Equity needs to be leading point on any contract negotiations and if SAG-AFTRA isn’t respecting that then Equity actors need to stand up for their stage manager colleagues.
Trying to find any kind of employment, let alone in the industry right now, is a disaster. No one knows what to do because no one was prepared for a global pandemic. Corona really just came to the world to make everyone’s lives hell. It’s always been difficult, especially for performers, to make a name for yourself or try and get yourself connected when working completely alone, but I can only imagine what it must feel like to try and put yourself out there like that and then get rejected for respond that probably have nothing to do with you. A lot of people just can’t afford to have employees and have to work themselves. So the rejection will have you feeling a way about yourself and making you rethink your character and capabilities, that you probably shouldn’t even waste your time with because it’s probably just corona and not you that is eating your opportunities for success.
It is really sad to see two of the largest entertainment industry unions fighting over work by undercutting contracts and negotiating lower-paying deals with theaters. This is just a result of the unfortunate circumstances that the pandemic has put performers in and to be honest, I don’t really blame either side because they are just trying to give their members work during this prolonged shutdown. Actors Equity is accusing SAG-AFTRA of taking all of the streaming contracts from them for theatres who decide to live-stream productions. I agree with the point made by Mary McCool, Equity’s executive director, when she says that the two labor unions should be working together to protect the workers they represent while instead they are fighting over where the fence is between them. A previous article I was reading is that the health care plan for Actors Equity is so fucked up, performers and stage managers are given either Plan A or Plan B, one of which is clearly superior, based on their income level of the year. Their coverage is determined on their income, so if they are not performing for the entire year, they will be losing their healthcare coverage. Some big changes need to be made to the structures of both entertainment Unions because the livelihood and wellbeing of all of its members is at stake. At the end of the day, the two unions need to suck it up and work with one another to resolve these problems.
I found it interesting that SAG-AFTRA’s chief operating officer clarified that they are only searching for short term solutions to get unemployed theater workers through the pandemic. This is likely where a lot of the difficulty stems from. Since Broadway just declared it will not be reopening until Summer 2021, this is obviously not a situation that calls for only short-term solutions meant to quickly patch over the immediate damage. This pandemic is going to do real harm to the industry if long-term solutions are not focused on. Being so focused on a dispute within the industry is taking attention away from supporting it as a whole. In the grand scheme, the coverage of stage managers should not be such a fiercely debated topic when every aspect of the industry is struggling and is going to continue to struggle until live theater is acceptable in a post-pandemic world. Both Equity and SAG-AFTRA need to recognize that the issue lies within these goals for short term solutions to a long-term issue.
Much like the previous article about live streaming ownership, this one too is important in todays climate. I feel after reading this that SAG-AFTRA is trying to push Equity out. Though not explicitly stated, I can imply from the article that SAG wants to be the only entertainment Union out there. The bigger they get, the less power each of it’s members has. Here, Stage managers are at the heart of the fight and they have every right to be so. SAG is trying to freeze them out. This doesn’t sound like two unions working together, it sounds like SAG is trying to beat Equity and kick them out off the playground. It’s unfair to all of the Equity members especially those whose health insurance is tied to their Equity work. The other issue, as mentioned in the article is that Equity actors are losing on this. In some cases, these theatre performances are using only SAG actors, not equity which makes it all the more clear what SAGs ultimate goal is and that, as I have mentioned, is to squeeze Equity out. This will hurt everyone in the long run.
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