I saw a post in a VO thread this morning wondering why all the rest of us voiceover pros don’t join the Union (SAG/AFTRA). The basic premise was that rates are being pushed lower by subpar talent and cheap, drive-thru VO websites, and if we all joined together that would stop. They also implied, somewhat overtly, that belonging to a Union shows that you have more talent and experience than non-Union VO talent. Whoaaaa.
I like the idea of people with a common goal working together to have their voices heard – no pun intended – in our industry. One that encourages, uplifts, educates, and advocates for positive change. What I don’t like is the idea of said organization telling me which jobs I can and cannot take and dictating my rates. That’s why I like World-Voices and finally became a member this year. (www.World-Voices.org)
Another perspective: I live in Delaware, Ohio. I’m a full-time voice actor – turned- Work at Home Mom. I’m in the studio most mornings and early afternoons. After my twins’ naptimes, I like going to COSI, the zoo, the park, and just running errands, wiping noses, and being a MoM. I love my country living, out where ISDN and SourceConnect aren’t available, and I have no desire to put on real clothes and head to the studios in Columbus to do my job. I make a good living at it, especially with our low cost-of-living – and usually make much higher than union scale doing my work. The amount of SAG/AFTRA Union work I could get living here in Middle America without ISDN or SC wouldn’t pay my union dues! Sometimes, it makes zero financial sense for a person to join. If a company is willing to pay me what I’m worth and I’m doing a great job for them, everyone’s happy. They didn’t have to jump through any hoops and neither did I. I didn’t need an organization to protect me from my own wonderful clients (shout out!) because I only work with people who value what I bring to the table.
Although I respect anyone who’s put in hard work and has talent, I don’t think being in the Union somehow makes them any better. I think my work and the work of other talent, Union or Non-Union, speaks to their ability to do the job, not a membership.
The real question we should ask isn’t whether or not it’s important to be a part of a union. It’s how we educate newbies to the industry on best practices that will help us all rise together. I, for one, do not feel at all threatened by those who are taking low-paying work in exchange for their developing skills. As people gain experience and improve their skillset, they become more in-demand and realize their worth. By the time their skills are on-par with industry standards, they’re charging industry standard rates. If you’re *really* losing business to newbies charging peanuts for crappy work, maybe you’re just *not that good.* Yikes.
The Voiceover Princess 