If they meet eligibility requirements. Most don't.
> Minimum rates for when they do find work.
Those rates are terrible. One cannot support oneself on it. SAG day rate is ~$335. SAG week rate is ~$1166. That's 2020.
> Residuals to get them through lean years.
You are thinking of people who "made it" -- managed to land a long term gig on one of syndicated TV shows. Those are equivalents of $550k/year Staff Engineers.
Source: Dated two. Used exceptions to do SAG/AFTRA show arriving at the must join status.
> If they meet eligibility requirements. Most don't.
You have to earn $15k/year to qualify for the lowest tier health plan. At the minimum rate you quoted, that's about 12 weeks of work. That doesn't seem unreasonable - hard to call yourself a professional actor yet if you can't book 12 weeks of work. Dues are only $220/year, so it's not like you're giving a ton of money to the union while you wait for a break.
> Sag week rate is ~$1166. That's 2020
That's still better money than waiting tables. About 2x California minimum wage.
> You are thinking of people who "made it" -- managed to land a long term gig on one of syndicated TV shows
Maybe I'm understanding this wrong, but it seems like anyone who is a "principal performer" is eligible for residuals. Even guest stars that speak one or 2 lines in a single episode of a long-running show will get something. I don't know the sums involved - maybe it's grocery money, for someone with that small of a part. But do you think a one-line performer would have gotten that negotiating by themselves? They'd be told to take a hike.
> You have to earn $15k/year to qualify for the lowest tier health plan. At the minimum rate you quoted, that's about 12 weeks of work.
That's work on a set. 12 weeks/year on a set is a huge number. To get to that point, one probably spent 2x the time on non-paid activities such as pounding pavement going on castings and auditions.
> That's still better money than waiting tables. About 2x California minimum wage.
Exactly! So the great achievement of the union is non-full time at 2x minimum wage with benefits tied to ~ 3 months of days on set.
That would be a massive downgrade for tech workers who are full time, at 4x - 10x the minimum wage. Options and RSUs would definitely go bye-bye.
> Even guest stars that speak one or 2 lines in a single episode of a long-running show will get something. I don't know the sums involved - maybe it's grocery money, for someone with that small of a part.
The best thing to be is an extra who said something on camera, because that automatically upgrades one to a principal by burning an exmeption.
Yes, everyone gets paid residuals but it is all based on the total units and total pay and who gets more units.
> To get to that point, one probably spent 2x the time on non-paid activities such as pounding pavement going on castings and auditions.
You make a fair point, have an upvote.
> That would be a massive downgrade for tech workers who are full time. Options and RSUs would definitely go bye-bye.
Why are you assuming that a hypothetical tech union would negotiate the same rates as SAG-AFTRA? There's no shortage of people wanting to become rich and famous as actors, singers, or other on-screen performers - and they've still managed to negotiate 2x minimum wage. Whereas there's a shortage of people wanting to be programmers.
> Whereas there's a shortage of people wanting to be programmers.
There is definitely no shortage of people who want to become programmers. There may be a shortage of people who are capable of becoming competent programmers, but I don't think so. There is definitely a shortage of people who meet the arbitrarily high bars set by many non-famous companies.
There's no shortage in people who want to work in tech even in the conditions that people of Kickstarter that voted for the union consider to be unacceptable. ( Pay scale, offices, perks )
The reason why general do X for me is so low on freelancing sites is because there in enormous supply which is currently restricted by the arbitrary rules of the employers who pay for those capricious restrictions though the nose. Tech unions are going to democratize this which is going to greatly negatively affect the current tech workers.
If they meet eligibility requirements. Most don't.
> Minimum rates for when they do find work.
Those rates are terrible. One cannot support oneself on it. SAG day rate is ~$335. SAG week rate is ~$1166. That's 2020.
> Residuals to get them through lean years.
You are thinking of people who "made it" -- managed to land a long term gig on one of syndicated TV shows. Those are equivalents of $550k/year Staff Engineers.
Source: Dated two. Used exceptions to do SAG/AFTRA show arriving at the must join status.