Your Agent and You FAQ

What if I have questions that were not answered here?

Should you have any Agency-related questions, please do not hesitate to contact SAG’s Agency Departments: in L.A. (323) 549-6745, or in New York at (212) 827-1438. In addition, please continue to check the SAG web site for updated information on this and any other Guild matters. SAG also strongly recommends that members consult an attorney prior to deciding on their next course of action. In addition, members resident in the State of California may also contact the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards at (415) 703-4846, if you have any further questions or concerns about a document you have been asked to sign. Members who reside in the State of New York may contact the Department of Consumer Affairs, Complaint Division, at (212) 487-4491.To locate an actor or his/her representative, please dial (800) 503-6737 during normal business hours to speak with SAG’s “Actors to Locate” Department.

Now that the ATA/NATR agents franchises have expired, may those agents now submit SAG members they represent for non-union work?

No. With the exception of the temporary suspension of enforcement of Rule 16(a) of SAG’s Rules and Regulations, all other SAG membership rules remain in full force and effect, including the prohibition against SAG members performing in non-union productions.

Is my agency contact information filed with SAG current?

It may not be. Because some ATA/NATR agents have chosen not to sign performers to standard SAG agency contracts, SAG’s agency listings for these performers may no longer be accurate. When producers or other potential employers contact the Screen Actors Guild’s “Actors To Locate” department, searching for contact information for you, the Guild can only release information that was last provided by you or your agent. If you have recently changed agents, if your standard SAG agency contract has expired, or if you have recently signed a GSA with an agent, it is in your best interests to provide SAG with current agency contact information (i.e., let the Guild know, in writing, who represents you so that employers may continue to reach you [or your designated representative] with any potential job opportunities). These updates may be faxed to the Guild at (323) 549-6746, or, in New York, (212) 840-0344. The update form is available for download from the Member Services section under My Information.

What steps is SAG taking on behalf of its members to further protect their interest in their relationships with their agents?

The SAG National Board has appointed a National Agents Relations Committee, which is comprised of working actors across the country. The Committee has been meeting regularly in an effort to examine any and all options available to the Guild to protect its members’ long-term interests.

The Committee is in the process of reaching out to the membership to better understand the nature of what they are encountering in daily interactions with agents. SAG Members are encouraged to notify their fellow Union members who wish to update their email address with the Guild to send their professional name, SAG Id , old email address and new email address to emailupdate@sag.org. Members listing an email address for the first time with the Guild must complete and return a signed Member Update Form. SAG will communicate with its membership via these e-mails, as well as through its web site at www.sag.org.

Members should also be aware that through its Agency, Communications, and Government Relations Departments, and in conjunction with its Branch offices nationwide, the Screen Actors Guild has also been busy networking with elected State Representatives (to this point, principally in California), its sister unions, and applicable regulatory entities that are in a position to effect positive change in performers’ daily lives. In particular, the Guild is asking California State Assembly Members and Senators to act to ensure our members are fully protected in their relationships with their agents. The Guild also fully supports and endorses any potential State government initiatives to hold hearings that examine the relationships between agents and performers.

SAG has also been in contact with both the California Labor Commissioner’s Office and the New York Department of Consumer Affairs to encourage those entities to consider adopting new protections for all performers in the marketplace. This type of outreach will be extended throughout the country.

What happens to me if I’ve already signed a representation agreement (GSA) with that agent?

If SAG’s National Board cancels its temporary suspension of enforcement of Rule 16(a) of its Rules and Regulations and once again requires you to be represented solely by a franchised agent, you will not be immediately affected. If you have signed a GSA with your formerly franchised ATA/NATR agent, even if it does not conform to SAG’s standard agency representation agreement, you will be permitted to serve out the term of your pre-existing agreement with your ATA agency, without worrying about potentially violating Union rules. However, after your GSA expires, you may not re-sign with any agent who is not signed to the Screen Actors Guild Agency Regulations, Rule 16(g). If you have no current agency representation agreement when SAG’s National Board cancels its temporary suspension of enforcement of Rule 16(a) of its Rules and Regulations, the Guild will require you to secure the services of a franchised agent in order to fully comply with Union rules.

My agent has presented me with a General Service Contract (“GSA”) to sign. What should I do?

If any agent asks you to sign a contract whose terms do not mirror (or are better than) those in the standard SAG representation contract, you should do three things. First, you should attempt to negotiate terms and conditions that are similar to, or better than, those in the standard SAG agency agreement. SAG can assist you in this effort. Second, you should seek independent legal advice prior to signing. Third, you should immediately notify SAG’s Agency Department (in LA: 323-549-6745; in New York, 212-827-1438) and provide us with a copy of the document so that we may address any concerns that you may have. For broader questions, Members resident in the State of California may also contact the Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Labor Standards and Enforcement, at 415-703-4846 if you have any further questions or concerns about a document that you have been asked to sign. Members resident in the State of New York may contact the Department of Consumer Affairs, Complaint Division, at 212-487-4491.

Now that the ATA/NATR agencies’ SAG franchises have expired, is the SAG Agency Contract I signed with ATA/NATR still valid?

Since the SAG National Board has temporarily suspended application of Rule 16(a) of the Rules and Regulations section of the SAG Constitution, which requires SAG members to be represented only by a franchised agent, SAG members may, for the time being, continue to be represented by ATA/NATR agents.

For the ATA/NATR agencies’ SAG franchises have expired, is the standard SAG Agency Contract I signed with my ATA/NATR agent still valid? Members who are contemplating signing new contracts with their ATA/NATR agents, you should insist, whenever possible, upon the standard SAG representation contract or a contract whose terms and conditions mirror those in (or are better than) Rule 16(g).

Are there plans for SAG and the ATA/NATR to return to the bargaining table?

Although no new talks have been scheduled with the ATA/NATR to date, the Screen Actors Guild remains open to reestablishing a dialogue with these organizations.

Who May Represent Me?

That is solely a question of state contract law. SAG strongly urges you to proceed with caution and obtain independent legal advice prior to taking any action that may affect your future obligations/ relationships with your ATA/NATR agent. If you have any questions in this regard, do not hesitate to contact SAG’s Agency Department at 323-549-6745. Since the SAG National Board has temporarily suspended enforcement of Rule 16(a) of SAG’s Rules and Regulations, which normally requires SAG members who choose to be represented by an agent to choose solely from a list of franchised ones, SAG members may, for the time being, also continue to be represented by ATA/NATR agents. These are the only two entities, however, which SAG members may engage as an agent. If you are unsure about your agent’s status, please contact the Guild’s Agency Department. Members who are contemplating signing new contracts with their ATA/NATR agents should insist, whenever possible, on the standard SAG representation contract or a contract whose terms and conditions mirror those in (or are better than) Rule 16(g).