Right-to-Work State
A right-to-work state allows workers to choose whether or not to join a union, even in unionized workplaces, giving them flexibility in paying union dues.
Must Join
Must Join is the status indicating a performer has exhausted their Taft-Hartley eligibility and is required to join SAG-AFTRA before working on any further union productions.
Taft-Hartley
Taft-Hartley is a legal provision allowing a non-union performer to work on one SAG-AFTRA production before being required to join the union, initiated by a production filing a formal report.
Voucher
A Voucher is the payment record submitted by background performers at the end of each working day — with SAG vouchers serving as the pathway to SAG-AFTRA membership eligibility after accumulating three.
Financial Core (Fi-Core)
Financial Core (Fi-Core) is a legal status allowing performers to resign full SAG-AFTRA membership while retaining the right to work on union productions — losing full membership benefits but gaining the ability to work non-union.
SAG-AFTRA Health Insurance
SAG-AFTRA Health Insurance is the union’s healthcare benefit program funded by producer contributions — available to performers who earn above an annual minimum threshold in covered union productions.