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| Current Info > FAQs |
FAQs
Q: Am I eligible to join?
A: All casting
directors and associates in NY and LA are eligible to join the union
during the open enrollment periods. After the open
enrollment period you will have to work 30 days of covered employment
in order to qualify for membership. Covered employment is when someone
works in NY and LA (or is hired there) and works in the production of
live action theatrical motion pircuters or live action prime time
television. Individual employers may elect to cover casting
directors and associates who work on other types of productions and
then those casting directors and associates would also be
covered.
See the section on
the home page marked “How to Join” for details.
The agreement is not applicable to CDs and Associates who cast
background actors or to those who work on other than a freelance basis.
Q: What does it cost to join the Union?
Go to the Home Page and take a look at “How to Join”
Q.What is the cost to a production for Benefit Contributions?
A: As of Sept 2009 the cost per 60 hr. week for each union member employed by the production is:
Associates $260.25
TV CD $299.25
Feature CD $314.25
Q: Are All of the Studios Participating?
A:
All the companies that are Signatory to the AMPTP have agreed to honor
this agreement (go to the home page and click on “Contract”…the
Memorandum of Agreement can be downloaded and there is a list
there. It is all the “Majors” and some others). ANY company CAN
sign up and become a signatory. Some will traditionally sign
union agreements project by project. Others may choose to work
through a payroll company (they will sign something called a “letter of
assumption” with that payroll company to give them the responsibility
of paying benefits). It is possible to get benefits from almost
any employer who agrees to give them to you – if you are based in LA or
NY and doing your work there or being sent from there. The
logistics of how that particular entity signs up to do that is
something you can figure out with Tommy O’Donnell or Steve Dayan.
The important thing is that you think of yourself as a Union Casting
person and that you ASK to be covered…always. Start with the idea
that it is possible. There may be isolated incidents where it
isn’t. But start with that thought and go for it. Make it a
habit. And if an agent does your deals. Make sure they are
educated and know what to ask. We are happy to help and talk to
anyone.
Q: I don’t understand how Pension and Health contributions work
A:
Go to the Home Page and read the Health Plan/Pension section and take a
look at the website for Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plan
www.mpiphp.org
Basically, there are three plans involved:
1)
Health Plan (paid based on hours…CDs will be considered “on call” for
this agreement – that means you get 60/hours a week towards the plan
when you work a full week…it is prorated accordingly by days…Associates
may be “on call” or “hourly” depending on the individual deals made
with the employer)
Once
you qualify- (look at Health Plan/Pension on Home Page), you and your family are eligible to be covered. If
your spouse also has coverage (in this plan or another)…whoever’s
BIRTHDAY is first in a calendar year would have the Primary insurance.
If
you are an individual, your own insurance (should you choose to keep
it) might be primary. You would need to check with that company.
Even if you qualify you are not obligated to take the insurance.
2) Defined Benefit Pension Plan (D.B.P.P.) – like Social Security a recipient would get a monthly check
How
it works: Like the Health Plan, this involves hourly contributions by
the employers. You would not be “vested” until contributions have
been made for 5 years.
3) Individual Account Plan (called an I.A.P) it is like a 401K plan
There
is a component that is contributed based on hours worked and then in
1/07 and again in 1/08 there will be a percentage contributed based on
a fixed “weekly base rate” that is described in the Memorandum of
Agreement (you can download this by going to “Contracts” on the Home
Page)
Q: What happens if we’re working on more than one project at a time?
A:
This works according to the rules of The Motion Picture Industry
Pension and Health Plan -aka "The Plan" (this is the independent entity
that manages all the
benefits). If you are working for more than one project for the
same studio or employer you will get one set of benefits. If you
are working, at some point in time, for more than one studio or
employer you can get more than one set of benefits. Should these rules
change in the future we would be subject to those changes like everyone
else on The Plan (which is used by IATSE members as well as
Teamsters).
Q: What if TWO (or more) casting directors are working on the same project?
A:
If you are a partnership, you need to make it part of your negotiations
to address this issue. You should ask to get benefits for all the
Casting Directors and Associates working on that particular project. This will
be part of your individual negotiations with the employer. For
more ideas and suggestions on how to approach this, contact Steve or
Tommy or steering committee members.
Q: What if a project isn’t “green lit”? (May include Step Deals)
A:
If the project is over 1.5M and eventually is shooting in LA or NY
chances are the Teamsters will try and organize that show, and if they
succeed (and they generally do), Casting Directors and Associates will get their
benefits retroactively. Even if it is shooting out of town or it
never gets going you CAN ask to be covered from the start of a project
as a Union Casting Director and Associate and there are ways that they might be able
to pay into the plan on your behalf even in the early stages of a
project.
Q: Am I allowed to work on shows that are non-union?
A:
Yes. All we ask is that if there is a show that is “non-union” that is
budgeted OVER 1.5M, that you contact Steve Dayan or Tommy O’Donnell or
Terry Cassaletta -- depending on who is your Business Agent. If
it is appropriate (filming in their jurisdictions, etc) they will try
and organize these shows and get your benefits retroactively. If
this is not possible you are not precluded from working on non-union
shows, just understand that you may not get benefit contributions for
that work.
Q: How do I get paid on time? Usually the casting directors are the first ones on a show even before accounting!
A:
If you are working on a Union show, the terms of the agreement require
you to be paid in a timely manner. Make your deals weekly
deals. Then signatory employers are required to pay you on
Thursday of the following week (or at least have it in the mail and
postmarked by then). That is state law.
Q: What happens if I’m a corporation (aka “loanout”)?
A:
If you have a loan-out corporation you can ask the employer to pay your
benefits on behalf of your corporation. The way they do for
others right now. Should the laws change and the companies STOP
doing this for others (like actors, writers and directors) they have
reserved the right not to do it for us. There are rumblings
within the IRS about all of this. Bottom line. As long as
someone does it for others, they will do it for you.
Q: What is the “bank of hours” and how are they used?
A: Look at the Home Page and click on Health Plan
Q: Is there anything my agent needs to know when negotiating a deal?
A:
If someone else does your deals then in addition to whatever they would
normally be asking for, it is important that you instruct them to:
- Always ask for their clients to be hired as Union Casting Directors who receive benefits
- Make your deals as weekly deals with NO free weeks
-
Make sure your deal is done and acknowledged in writing before you
start work (they can say this is what the union wants)
- Gets the employer to directly pay your benefits if you are a Loan Out.
Stay
in close contact with your representative during this transition period
and make sure you understand all aspects of the deal and how it impacts
your ability to get your benefits on whatever type of project you are doing.
Don’t do anything that will
jeopardize that in any way. This is all pretty straightforward;
if it doesn’t make sense, ask Steve or Tommy or a steering committee
member to help.
Q: Are we guaranteed Credits?
A:
Credits are not addressed in this first agreement. They are part
of your individual negotiations with each employer. This is a
good area for all of us to Share information (on the website, among
your colleagues).
Q: If I am not working, due to extreme circumstances, do I have to pay dues?
A:
If you are a member of 399 and are not working, due to illness,
extended travel, lack of work or other extreme circumstances, you can
call Rosie at the union office and ask to be put on withdrawal. When
you go back to work you can call and ask to be reinstated by paying
that quarters dues.
ASSOCIATE QUESTIONS:
Q: Can Associates Join the Union?
A: Of course. Got to the Webpage and look under How to Join for the Local that you would be joining.
Q: Are Associates getting minimums?
A:
No. The amount offered by the AMPTP was so low that it was decided it
would be better to leave this to individual negotiations.
Q: What if my rate is more than the studio is willing to pay?
A:
You and the Casting Director you are working with will need to work
this out. There are a number of ways that this can be addressed
and Tommy and Steve can help the CD. None of the benefits are based on
your salary so what you are being paid by the studio will not affect
your benefits. The IAP (individual retirement plan) has a
component, starting in the second year of the contract, that is based
on a fixed rate (for associates it is $700…up, after a big fight, from
the $650 that was initially offered). This is NOT a minimum and
in no way effects the amount that you can be paid.
Q: What is the studios criteria/definition of Casting Associate vs. Casting Assistant?
A:
There is no definition. It is part of a Casting Director’s negotiation
to establish getting an associate as part of a project. Casting
Directors will continue to fight for their staffing needs. The
spirit of the agreement is that CDs should be able to get associates if
they can show a need for them on a project. We all know this will not
be easy, but the TV community is already banding together on this issue.
Q: If I am not working, due to extreme circumstances, do I have to pay dues?
A: If you are a member of 399 and are not working, due to illness, extended travel, lack of work or other extreme circumstances, you can call Rosie at the union office and ask to be put on withdrawal. When you go back to work you can call and ask to be reinstated by paying that quarters dues.
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