Different workers want a union for different reasons.

• Better wages.
• Better working conditions.
• Portable health insurance and pension benefits.
• Someone to represent them with their employer.

Without Union representation, an employer can pay you anything they want; there is no law requiring them to pay more than minimum wage.

Without Union representation and a contract, an employer has no obligation to provide you with any standard benefits such as health care coverage or retirement benefits.

Without Union representation, you can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. You don’t even get the opportunity to defend yourself.

The Art Directors Guild has been successfully negotiating contracts that provide good wages and benefits for those employed under them. In addition, we represent these employees in their dealings with management. They don’t have to confront their employer over a failure to pay properly or to follow other contract terms. We do that for them. That’s all part of being represented by the Union.

The Art Directors Guild has over 2000 members. There is strength in numbers and the Guild will work to cover your services under a contract that includes a basic wage scale that sets a floor, but not a ceiling, on what you can earn. Guild contracts provide premiere health benefits for the member and his/her family. And there are provisions so that, down the road, you can receive a stable pension for your retirement.

Simply put, the Union protects artistry, craftsmanship and professional standards of its members, most importantly, by collectively bargaining with the employers, ensuring fair wages and working conditions. A “society” has no power to do this under state or federal law. The Union has your back in the workplace. A society does not.

• Minimum wage scales
• Health plan – comprehensive and portable so you take it with you from job to job.
• Pension benefits for a secure retirement.
• Improved working conditions.
• Education programs and access to subsidized training
• Grievance procedures to support you in disputes with your employer
• Membership Directory – you can find other skilled and qualified Artists and, most importantly, they can find you when hiring.
• Access to Guild programs and events (seminars, screenings, networking and education)
• College Scholarship Tuition Fund to benefit members and dependents.
• Union Discounts on everything from wireless service to rental cars.

Some of the benefits noted above, like health and pension funds, are paid for by your employers. Others are financed through member dues.

The Art Directors Guild provides numerous services and benefits to its members. The delivery and administration of these services is not without cost. It requires a full-time paid staff, an office, office equipment, supplies and an IT department to keep the computers running, and representatives to visit members and address labor issues which may arise.

These costs are covered by the collection of quarterly dues from the membership. These dues, by the way, are entirely tax deductible – you are entitled to write off the total amount collected by your union when you file your taxes (consult your tax professional for assistance).

The Art Directors Guild, and the IATSE, are democratic collectives of members. The members decide how much their dues are. The members decide what services they want. And the members oversee the funds of the Local and how they are spent.

This common but untrue sentiment is often used by anti-union forces to fight organizing. The IATSE and the ADG have repeatedly fashioned agreements whose economics work for both the employee and the employers. There are low-budget film agreements that offer extremely competitive rates and conditions to keep work here in Los Angeles; special rates and conditions for televisions pilots and made-for-tv movies; and accommodations for projects made for the internet.

We want our employers to thrive and prosper. That’s what provides the best conditions for workers, with good benefits, safe conditions, and the potential for full employment.

You very well may be making a competitive salary. One thing about working in an Industry with such high Union representation is that the rising tide raises all boats – even the non-union ones. The wages and working conditions negotiated over the years by the entertainment unions have created an Industry standard that workers have come to expect. But if you are in a non-union shop, your employer has no obligation to continue meeting that standard. And, even if your wage is okay, how are your benefits? Can you take them with you if you leave? Will you still be covered after the show is over? What happens when you reach retirement? And worst of all, what happens if your VFX employer becomes insolvent.

It is about a whole lot more than just the wage rate. It is about all the other benefits that come with Union membership.

The Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans oversees the administration of these benefits. There is a comprehensive explanation of the health and pension benefits here.

We offer the benefit of negotiating on your behalf as a member of a far larger group. It’s called “collective bargaining” where we use the power of the whole to advances the needs of all members.