I just came back from the VO Atlanta conference, where I was presenting. It was a great weekend – and I had a fantastic time. I had a breakout session, a much longer (3 hour) session and I moderated a panel. On what? On the union, Sag-Aftra, as it relates to voiceover work. There’s so much confusion about what one can and can’t do as a member of the union and it can get pretty complex. The main thing I wanted to get across was that just because one is a member of the union, it doesn’t necessarily mean that ALL non-union work is out of bounds. Some non-union work can be converted to union work. Other work hasn’t been organized so the work can be done non-union. For other work, local agreements can be crafted. There are a number of ways to work that may not be covered by traditional contracts – and I think it’s important talent know that.
One of the handouts I offered listed 3 myths about the union.
MYTH #1. If you join the union, no more non-union work for you.
There is a popular misconception that if you join the union, then you must close the door on all non-union work. This is not true. There are many areas – types of voice over work – where there are no multi-employer, industry wide agreements. In these areas, that aren’t covered by such an agreement, a talent is free to work without a union contract. There are other areas that are covered, where it is possible to easily convert non-union work into union work via a signatory paymaster, with no hassle whatsoever. In these cases, the union talent is not in violation of Global Rule One.
MYTH #2. Union membership is paramount.
There are some who say only union talent are “real professionals.” We all know that’s not true. Union membership brings many benefits but whether it’s right for you is not a simple yes or no. If your primary work is something such as eLearning narration and you make a good living from it and are happy to focus solely on eLearning, union membership may not be paramount. However, the high profile work, national spots that pay residuals and much TV and film work, including animation (which is roughly 90% union) are usually union only. Unless you’re union or willing and able to join (or are in a right-to-work state) you won’t get access to these gigs. In the past voice over work was limited and it was almost always union. These days there is so much new work that didn’t exist before, and much of it is non-union (which doesn’t necessarily mean union talent can’t do the work – see Myth #1) making union membership a simple business decision, not an imperative. When you’re deciding what’s best for you and your career remember, if you do enough union work – and that includes work you convert to union work – you can qualify for health insurance and pension.
MYTH #3. The union is irrelevant now.
The union may have ignored the VO business over the last decade, inadvertently contributing to the decline in rates and terms among non-union talent who aren’t knowledgeable about the business, but any talent who thinks the union is irrelevant is mistaken. The union provides baseline rates and conditions for ALL professional VO work – both union and non-union. It’s the standard – the ONLY standard – that both the industry and pro voiceover talent have agreed is fair to all and is the standard all professional talent strive for. Without union rates as a baseline the commoditization of the industry by third parties will accelerate as they make up their own rates and conditions. Take a good look at the rate cards some of the subscription services post, and compare them to union rates. Take a look at the terms of some of the sites and you’ll realize you’ve just sold your work to them outright as a buyout in perpetuity for all media worldwide. Without the barometer union rates provide, the voiceover business would descend into a mess of “dollar-a-holler” jobs with no-one being able to actually make a living except for those who buy talent low and sell high. If you are making a living as a non-union VO talent, it’s likely due to your understanding of professional rates and terms that have been set by the union and the industry, and your implementation of them or a similar business plan that comes close. If you’re not yet able to make a living as a VO and you’re good at what you do, then look to your substandard rates for the answer.
Only you can make the right decision for YOUR business. Make sure you have all the info before making the decision.
Many thanks to panelists Steve Sidawi, Tom Allamon, Mary Lynn Wissner, Vince LeBica and Dan Friedman for joining me on the Union Matters panel. And special thanks to Tom and Steve for being guest presenters at my sessions. You all rock!
melissa eXelberth
american female voice over talent
March 15, 2017