Union vs Non-Union Background Performers

Ah, the tried and true rivalry between union and non-union background performers remains strong to this day. Especially in British Columbia, Canada, one of Hollywood’s major film producing meccas.

For those that don’t know, almost every aspect of the major film industry is unionized. The transport workers (truck/van drivers), the hair and make up, actors, director, crew… Even the extras (the better paid, better treated background performers).

What separates a union background performer from a non-union background performer? Well, apart from money, this differs from province to province in Canada, and is even more different on a worldwide basis.

Being familiar with British Columbia, we’ll explain how it works here. Firstly, a union extra requires credits.

What are credits? Well, that area remains slightly grey, but in essence they tend to be speaking roles, or prominent featured roles which make you essential to scenes. Musicians and other performers (such as theatre actors) can have their achievements/experience/history applied to their potential credit status, but the idea is to make actors union extras under the sometimes misguided pretense that they know what they’re doing.

In BC, to achieve full union status as an extra or more profoundly, a “background performer” you require six credits, or the equivalent. You can become an apprentice member with five credits or less, or the equivalent thereof.

Or, you can become an extras union member with 24 or more days on set. As an apprentice you get the chance to get a union voucher (an upgrade to more pay/better food for the day) if there aren’t enough union members working that day, and the second tier of people (the extras union people) get the next stab (if there aren’t enough apprentice members, or full union background) to get a leg up.

The last selection of people are the non-union background, they rarely get permit, but sometimes get the opportunity if they remove a little clothing or do something the production deems worthy. More often than not, the production won’t upgrade the lowly extras though.

As a non-union extra, you’re typically segregated. You have your own crafty tent (craft services – snacks while on set) which usually contain lesser items than the union/actor/crew craft tent. Your food tends not to be as name brand, there’s typically a lesser selection… I mean you haven’t yet accomplished anything in film or media, have you? Why would you deserve the same food and drink items?

The same applies for the catered lunches, with many sets now offering packed lunches as opposed to the typical union deal of catered food off of a talented cook’s catering truck.

Not to mention if you’re a union member, if they don’t feed you every six hours, the union members get a meal penalty for however long after the six hour increment they’re not fed, their daily paycheck rises more and more.

Union members also get paid for multiple clothing changes (non-union don’t) and travel time if it takes them a long while to reach the set (again, non-union extras do not).

The best feature though, above all else, is that union members get paid for eight hours of work regardless of whether they work one minute, or the full eight hours. Non-union extras do not. Point blank.