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Are act/actors at faires in unions?/Could they be forced to strike?

Started by Cobaltblu, July 02, 2008, 10:52:45 AM

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Cobaltblu

Occasionally I hear of the screenactors guild or writers guild going on strike or threatening to go on strike...and then the general public is left with no movies or new tv shows for several months.

Are actors or acts at faires part of any unions and if so could they be forced to go on strike if their union does?

Regards,

CB
Click on my website icon on the left to view my photo album of garb and items.

Emerald Shaunassey

I've never heard of any unions for faire acts/actors.  Not saying they might exsist in the faires with Guild Systems just saying I've not seen nor heard of them at any of the faires I've worked in my 'career.' 
IWG #979, IFRP #569, RMG # 614, Bard # 171.
Creator, Owner, & Manager of Williams Entertainment: Home of The Ladies of the Salty Kiss, The Shanty Lasses, Native Souls, & Grand Lake Renaissance Festival.

Queen Maggie

Some(very few) actors at the entirely professional (meaning no volunteers) faires do have union membership, usually with Equity. They often perform under a different name, because most faires do not pay anything like union rates. There are legal ways to get such an exception. But they'd have nothing to do with the SAG, and any faire work wouldn't be considered part of an SAG strike, since it isn't filmed.
Queen Maggie
wench#617, Bard #013
aka Mistress Mannerly, Goodlief Bailey, Cousin Undine Mannerly, Mother Lowe

bunnie

All of our Limeybirds are members of the Musician's Union (AFM local 139) and only under extreme circumstances would we be required to strike.... in fact; I would say the chance is so slim because we don't play regulated union houses that it's nearly impossible to happen for us.

(Our contracts are filed with the AFM and so we're bound by it's ethics and standards; as well as protecting us should we never be paid for a gig.)

And as for SAG/Equity/Actra; the same goes. The faires aren't union houses and so we wouldn't be affected. All actors in their respective unions have to have non-union gigs cleared anyway.

mathemactor

Quote from: Cobaltblu on July 02, 2008, 10:52:45 AM
Occasionally I hear of the screenactors guild or writers guild going on strike or threatening to go on strike...and then the general public is left with no movies or new tv shows for several months.

Are actors or acts at faires part of any unions and if so could they be forced to go on strike if their union does?

Regards,

CB
Actors, musicians, and other performers at renaissance festivals might or might not be in any of the professional unions, but not for representation in the renaissance festival.  Thus, the union would not strike against a Ren Fest.  I'm speaking as an actor in a professional festival (MDRF), and Actors' Equity does not recognize a Renaissance Festival as a form of theater (My guess is that they have no idea just how to classify a Faire.) Thus, there is no problem with the actor working a Ren Fest, as there would be for the actor to work in a theater (like a community theater or little theater) which does not have a contract with Equity.