How do I join the Screen Actors Guild


Friday, May 16, 2008

EMPLOYER

SAG - NEW MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

Written by SAG

HOW TO JOIN SAG

Joining Qualifications

A performer may become eligible for Screen Actors Guild membership under one of the following conditions:

Proof of SAG Employment

Principal Performer Employment:

Performers may join SAG by proving they have worked for a SAG signatory company. Proof of such employment may be in the form of a signed contract, payroll check or check stub.

Employment must be in a principal or speaking role in a SAG film, videotape, television program or commercial.

The document proving employment must provide the following information: applicant's name and Social Security number, the name of the production or the commercial (the product name), the salary paid in dollar amount, and the specific date(s) worked.

Background Players Employment

Performers may join SAG upon by proving they have worked as a SAG covered background player at full SAG rates and conditions for a MINIMUM of three workdays subsequent to March 25, 1990.

Employment must be by a company signed to a SAG Background Players Agreement, and in a SAG film, videotape, television program or commercial.

Proof of such employment must be in the form of a signed employment voucher (or time card), plus an original payroll check or check stub. Such documents must provide the same information listed in paragraph 1) A above.

Employment Under an Affiliated Performers’ Union

Performers may join SAG if the applicant is a paid-up, in good standing member of an affiliated performers' union (ACTRA, AEA, AFTRA, AGMA or AGVA) for one year and has worked at least once as a principal performer in that union's jurisdiction.

Initiation Fees

To join SAG, a performer must pay an initiation fee of $2,211, plus the first semi-annual basic dues. All joining fees are payable in full, in cashier's check, money order, Visa or Mastercard at the time of application. NO PERSONAL CHECKS are accepted for joining fees.

Fees may be lower if you join or work in a branch area other than Hollywood. However, if you subsequently work in an area whose governing branch charged a higher initiation fee the year that you joined than you initially paid, you must pay the difference to the new branch.

Dues

Each SAG member pays basic annual dues of $100.00. In addition members will pay percentage dues of 1.85% of all individual earnings under SAG contracts up through $200,000, and 0.5% on all individual earnings from $200,001 through $500,000.

Dues are calculated on an annual basis, and paid in two installments — the first on May 1, and the second on November 1. Dues are not prorated. Bills are mailed to the address on record before each due date. Members who do not receive bills are responsible for requesting duplicates.

Dues payments may be made by cash, check, money order, Visa or Mastercard, in person or by mail to Cashier, Screen Actors Guild, 5757 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036. Please put your member ID number on your check. Dues can also be paid online at www.sag.org.

Legitimacy of Application

Your application and proof of employment will be fully investigated by the Guild. Your application for SAG membership will be denied if you have falsified your credentials, or if your qualifying employment is not bona fide.

While it is your responsibility to ascertain the validity of your qualifying employment, the Guild will be the sole arbiter in determining whether the employer was legitimate or bogus, and whether the qualifying employment which you performed was actual production work or work created solely to enable you to gain Guild membership. Please be aware that false representation or deception on your part will jeopardize your chances to join the Guild.

Further, if after your application has been granted the Guild discovers such misconduct on your part, you may find yourself subject to disciplinary proceedings, which could result in your being fined, suspended and/or expelled from the Guild.

Appointments for Admission

If you are eligible under the conditions stated above, please contact your nearest SAG office BEFORE COMING IN so we can advise you of the amount of your joining fee and arrange an appointment with the New Membership Department.

Submitting Proof of SAG Eligibility

You may contact SAG about your eligibility status. If your file is not on record or incomplete, you may submit one of the following documents as proof of eligibility;

Original paycheck stubs.

Original activity print-out or report from the payroll company that states your name, social security number, the name of the production company, the title of the production, the salary paid in dollar amount, and the specific date(s) worked. The payroll company must submit this document directly to the SAG Membership Services Department.

Background vouchers and copies of paycheck stubs are not acceptable as proof of work. Submitting these types of documents will only delay verifying your SAG eligibility.

If you provide SAG with your original paycheck stubs, please make copies for your records before submitting them to our office.

In addition to enclosing proper eligibility documentation, you will need to include a separate piece of paper with your name, current address, current telephone number, and date of birth. A self-addressed stamped envelope must also be included so that we may return your documents to you. We ask that you print clearly to avoid input errors. Once verification is completed, you will receive a letter of eligibility from SAG.

Please mail your document to:

Screen Actors Guild
Membership Services Department – Proof of Eligibility
5757 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036

You may also deliver your documents in person to the 1st Floor Receptionist at the above address.

Once you have submitted your eligibility documents, please wait until you receive your original documents back in the mail before contacting us at (323) 549-6769 to schedule an appointment to join.

If You Move During the Joining Process

In order for SAG to mail notifications out in a timely manner, we encourage all eligible performers to keep their mailing addresses current with SAG. Notify SAG of your new address by phone (323) 549-6791, by fax (323) 549-6775 or by postal mail. Your eligibility letter will list a SAG ID number, which should be written on all correspondence submitted to SAG.

We thank you for your interest in joining the Screen Actors Guild.

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