Ease up turbo; if someone doesn't want to be part of the Union and has enough confidence and experience to back themselves up and self negotiate for them, then power to them. I'm a member of a Union because I lack the skill set to negotiate on my own behalf so I'm more than happy to pay some dues (which I can claim back at tax time) that puts me in contact with people willing to argue or assist me with such matters.shintakie10 said:This seems blindingly obvious to me, but I guess other people need it explained.Jake Martinez said:I think I read a story the other day about a school teacher in the LA unified district that is suing right now because she is forced to join the public schools teachers union and pay them dues even though she doesn't want them organizing contracts or representing her on her behalf.Coruptin said:Wouldn't be a union without shit like this would itPatrickJS said:SAG-AFTRA would like to keep publishers and developer from hiring their own employees to do voice work without having those people join the union.
It seems insane to me that if you want to be able to represent yourself and deal directly with your employer, that you are not allowed to do this and not only that, but you have to pay money for the privilege of giving up your right to negotiate the value of your own labor.
This is the thing that really kills me. I have no problem with unions or people wanting to unionize, I have problems with them attempting to monopolize labor and claiming it's for the "greater good". If your union is really that great, then why wouldn't people want to join it? If anything, it makes it less likely that the union leadership will be receptive to creating policy and direction that is attractive to it's members if they don't have to compete for the support of those same members.
The union negotiates on behalf of everyone in the union. If they get a deal through, everyone benefits from that deal.
People like that teacher you brought up are selfish bastards. They want the benefits the union provides. They want the security the union provides. They want to reap the rewards that the union fights for, but they don't want to pay for those benefits.
Ask anyone who doesn't want to pay into a union if they'd willingly give up any union won benefits so that they could try to negotiate their own benefits and they'll laugh in your fuckin face. Ask them if they'd willingly give up their health care, or willingly not take a raise that the union negotiated on their behalf for. Seriously, do it. See how many of them willingly agree that they, as a single person, could convince their employer to give them the same benefits that the union negotiated at.
People don't want to join unions because they don't want to spend money on the unions. They don't want to spend money on unions because unions have been stigmatized as horrible things over the last 2 decades and barely anyone understands how beneficial unions are.
Just look at the rhetoric involved. Fox news all day every day labels us as union thugs and talks about how we're bullying X group. Apparently to them threatening to go on strike because we don't get paid remotely close to a living wage, get forced to work unpaid overtime, and don't just bark when we're told to bark is somehow deplorable actions.
However even as a Union man I would find it grossly offensive if a non-member was still required to pay dues; indeed I'm surprised that it's even legal to do so - pretty sure it isn't in Australia - and it isn't, if fucking shouldn't be.
As for the voice actors thing; I think they're perhaps overreaching on the hazard pay argument, in my mind it would be far less adversarial to request provisions for medical care in the event of damage to the larynx and/or vocal cords themselves incurred in the course of work would probably be okay: that way it's a claimable expense if the need arises but if nothing happens then the actor is not out of pocket and neither is the company.
The royalties thing is difficult since I'm reasonably sure actors who contract out their likeness, be it in appearance or voice, can request such compensation but it's usually negotiated during contract phase rather than after the fact. So by all means they can ask for it, especially if merchandising is involved - I'd like to think Mark Vanderloo got a few quid for some of the Mass Effect toys that bore his likeness.