Breaking Down the Numbers on SAG Versus Non-Sag Pay
There’s a big difference
Most members of America’s skilled labor force will tell you that to get in the union is everything. Once invited, a member enjoys excellent perks and higher pay that dwarfs the membership dues they have to pay to access the sweet deal.
And even though the acting profession would hardly be considered blue-collar/skilled labor work, actors do have a union. But like with other unions, not everybody is in it.
For anybody who’s curious about union-negotiated wage levels called SAG rates versus non-union wages in the acting world, allow me to break down what my upcoming job pays me as a non-union actor as opposed to what it would if I were a SAG member.
This coming Monday and Tuesday, I will be employed playing a cameraman in “Happy Gilmore Two,” a feature film starring Adam Sandler. The set where the scenes will be shot is Donald Trump’s Bedminster golf course in New Jersey. It’s an exterior gig, so I assume somebody’s playing golf at some point in the movie.
Let’s assume that from the moment I arrive on set till the moment I leave the set will take 10 hours.
Non-union actors are paid $176 for any time period we work for up to 10 hours, and time-and-a-half after the initial 10 hours expire. SAG…
