Get SAG-AFTRA Taft Hartley Report 2017-2024

What is a Taft Hartley Report for SAG? A SAG-AFTRA Taft Hartley Report is nothing more than a document that producers file for non-union actors working on a SAG shoot. Roughly 1-2 pages (depending on your SAG contract), the form includes basic employment and production questions, along with a “Reason For Hire” section.

“Taft-Hartley” refers to the Taft-Hartley Act which is a law passed by Congress in 1947 relating to labor unions. Without further boring you, what it means for an actor is that if you get a Taft-Hartley you are then eligible to join SAG-AFTRA. Non-union actors can definitely be in union productions.

The Taft–Hartley Act prohibited jurisdictional strikes, wildcat strikes, solidarity or political strikes, secondary boycotts, secondary and mass picketing, closed shops, and monetary donations by unions to federal political campaigns. It also required union officers to sign non-communist affidavits with the government.

The moment you are hired for a principal or speaking role on your first SAG-AFTRA production, you become eligible to join (provided the production submitted the necessary paperwork with your information on it). This is called being "Taft-Hartleyed," and is one of the most common ways of getting into SAG-AFTRA.

Whenever a Signatory producer hires a performer that is not a member of SAG-AFTRA they must report such hiring to the union in writing within 15 days from the performer's initial work date (25 days on an overnight location) and include the reason for hire along with the performers headshot and resume.

In order for an actor to become “Tafted” or “Taft-Hartleyed” the casting director or producer (who has, by becoming a signatory to the union, agreed to hire only union actors) must submit SAG's Taft-Hartley form detailing — among other things — why they have chosen the actor in question as opposed to a SAG member.

Taft-Hartley They have to file a short form explaining to the union why they didn't hire one of the 160,000 union members. In other words, they have to make an excuse. Theoretically, if they excuse is not good enough, SAG can fine them (the fine is about $500). For kids, fines are rarely, if ever, imposed.

What is a Taft Hartley Report for SAG? A SAG-AFTRA Taft Hartley Report is nothing more than a document that producers file for non-union actors working on a SAG shoot. Roughly 1-2 pages (depending on your SAG contract), the form includes basic employment and production questions, along with a “Reason For Hire” section.