The Acting Income Podcast with Ben Hauck

AIP038 | The Return to Work: The Coronavirus, SAG-AFTRA, and Some Uncommon Sense about Actors’ Rights and Safety

In this long-form episode and sonic journey, host Ben Hauck [http://actingincome.com/benhauck] questions the logic that actors cannot always wear personal protective equipment (PPE) while they do their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. Ben explains how the "common sense" SAG-AFTRA's president Gabrielle Carteris and others hold that actors can't always wear PPE runs counter to data and safety, two values that SAG-AFTRA expressly exalts in the creation of safety protocols for the return to entertainment-industry work. Ben points out the danger to actors such a belief is, because it necessarily means that actors won't always be wearing PPE when they work, putting themselves and crew members at risk. Ben argues that the pandemic has turned "common sense" upside down, as evidenced by the continued production of  late-night variety shows like Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Saturday Night Live, despite obvious creative constraints brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The late-night variety shows have also provided data to help gauge the economic successes of their new low-tech productions, which may indicate what other compromises productions might make in order to successfully produce a show -- while also protecting actors from coming down with COVID-19. While Ben provides ideas on how to move forward safely with actors, he also lays down reasonable skepticism that SAG-AFTRA can help the individual actor during the pandemic, citing the union's furlough of many of its representatives, as well as that SAG-AFTRA reps are actually Teamsters. Ben ponders whether the Teamsters might fight against SAG-AFTRA as employer, should SAG-AFTRA try to unilaterally enact policies that the Teamsters would rather negotiate. Ben wonders if this might spell trouble for contract administration and grievance adjustment for actors. Given this skepticism about SAG-AFTRA's ability to protect actors amid the pandemic, Ben provides tips for actors to help themselves upon the return to work. Ben also provides a rundown of important rights actors have as employees under the National Labor Relations Act, touching on Section 7 rights, Weingarten rights, and retaliation by employers or unions. These tips and rights will help actors should they encounter safety issues at work in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

AIP037 | The Split-Earnings Problem: SAG-AFTRA's Elephant in the Room

Show Notes: http://actingincome.com/episode37 [http://actingincome.com/episode37] In this long-form episode, host Ben Hauck [http://actingincome.com/benhauck] dives into the ongoing problem of "split earnings" that continues to plague many SAG-AFTRA [http://sagaftra.org] actors interested in qualifying for a union pension. Ben explains how the merger of SAG's and AFTRA's health plans did not solve the split-earnings problem, putting members in the awkward situation of turning down union work and large paychecks in the pursuit of a pension credit. Ben also outlines how SAG-AFTRA repeatedly ignores and fails to provide public comment on the resolution of the split-earnings problem -- a hot-button topic that helped SAG and AFTRA to achieve a merger more than six years ago. With extensive documentation, Ben shows how it would seem that the union as well as one of its pension plans is quite plausibly against reporting on the pension plans and their health, essentially shutting out members from important information about the status of their pensions. Actors are left trying to interpret signals from the union and its pension plans about what they might be doing -- or might not be doing -- to resolve split earnings. Ben concludes with what he wants with respect to the split-earninngs problem, and what he hopes listeners will consider when it comes time to vote on contracts and union elections.

AIP036 | SAG-AFTRA, Stand-Ins, and the Photo-Double Rate, or The Scandal of the Missing “Upfront Increase of Nearly 17%”

Show Notes: http://actingincome.com/episode36 [http://actingincome.com/episode36] In this extended episode, host Ben Hauck [http://actingincome.com/benhauck] narrates his saga of trying to learn from SAG-AFTRA [http://sagaftra.org] the rate for stand-ins when they photo double in New York. In the process of researching that rate, Ben reveals how he uncovered not just SAG-AFTRA's misrepresentation of the increases photo doubles would make under the 2017 Television/Theatrical Agreement, but also SAG-AFTRA's illogical interpretation of just how much stand-ins in New York should be paid when they photo doubled. Ben also adds that a key person at SAG-AFTRA, responsible for interpreting the rates for stand-ins who photo double, has not replied with the interpretation.

AIP035 | 5 Reasons Casting Directors Should Be Happy to See Workshops Go - with Anne DeAcetis

Show Notes: http://actingincome.com/episode35 [http://actingincome.com/episode35] Actress and writer Anne DeAcetis [http://annedeacetis.com] is a guest contributor for this episode, reading from her essay on Medium.com [https://medium.com/@annedeacetis/five-reasons-casting-directors-should-be-happy-to-see-workshops-go-d305e2df313c#.7ctrqe34q] which lists five reasons why casting directors should happily play a part in the disappearance of casting director workshops. Host Ben Hauck [http://actingincome.com/benhauck] shares introductory content that motivated Anne's piece -- namely, an article from The Hollywood Reporter [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/pay-play-acting-auditions-gain-878886] on the prevalence of casting director workshops notoriously referred to as "pay-to-plays," the subsequent dismissal of a prominent casting director who has run casting director workshops, and a press release from the Casting Society of America [http://www.castingsociety.com/news/press-releases/casting-society-of-america-sets-new-board-members-establishes-workshop-committee] establishing a Workshop Committee to address the standards of these workshops.

AIP034 | Why You Should Vote No for the SAG-AFTRA Commercials Contract

Show notes: http://actingincome.com/episode34 [http://actingincome.com/episode34] Host (and actor) Ben Hauck [http://actingincome.com/benhauck] explains in detail why SAG-AFTRA [http://www.sagaftra.org] actors should vote no on the proposed 2016 Commercials Contract [http://www.sagaftra.org/2016-sag-aftra-commercials-contracts-moas]. In the episode, Ben outlines some of the important losses SAG-AFTRA actors will experience should they ratify this contract negotiated recently between the union and commercial producers. Namely, actors will lose use fees they typically get when their commercials are played. They'll lose these use fees (which could equal hundreds to thousands of dollars) when their commercials are simultaneously streamed on the Internet, New Media, or a future technology, and they'll also lose them when their commercials are edited for special offers and promotions. In addition, SAG-AFTRA actors will be paid later than in the prior commercials contract. Furthermore, the proposed contract does not include a precise definition for the term "commercial," which means that a later definition may prompt the union to give away more of your use without payment to you. Ben points out that the press release SAG-AFTRA put out [http://www.sagaftra.org/summaries-2016-sag-aftra-commercials-contracts-released-0] points up the increases the union accomplished in the negotiation, but it doesn't include what the union lost for actors. Given this and other wordings in the press release, Ben deems the SAG-AFTRA press release as "propagandistic" -- an attempt to persuade members to vote yes on a contract that freely gives away fees for the commercial actor more valuable than the 7% wage increase the contract provides. Ben urges SAG-AFTRA actors to vote no (#VoteNo and #VoteHellNo), but even more generally to simply vote -- even if they haven't worked in commercials yet. He explains their vote -- or failure to vote -- may affect the commercials contract they work under in the future. If SAG-AFTRA members choose not to ratify this proposed commercials contract, Ben says actors are not urging a strike so much as urging a continued negotiation to address the important compensation to actors that the union has bargained away in this proposed contract -- compensation that is aimed contractually at ensuring actors can work in commercials, be paid of the use of their work, and survive inevitable periods of unemployment that being identified in commercials creates.