Typically, this happens within 15 days, and once the report is complete, the actor can join SAG and pay the necessary fees to officially join the union. 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. Check out the video below to learn more about how actors and Taft-Hartley intersect. Once this report is filed, the actor becomes eligible to join SAG-AFTRA. Not only does it affect unions in general, but it affects actors specifically in that SAG-AFTRA will file the report after a signatory to the union hires a currently non-union actor. Taft-Hartley Legacy Taft-Hartley Act & actorsĬongress enacted Taft-Hartley decades ago, but the effects of Taft-Hartley endure. An important thing to note, though, is that “right to work” laws does not actually mean that everyone has a right to work, and it also does not mean that workers cannot form a union.Įssentially, Taft-Hartley tipped the scales of bargaining power in favor of employers, and led to significantly lower numbers in union membership. Limitations on political contributions of unionsīanned certain types of strikes (secondary boycotts, sympathy strikes/boycotts, jurisdictional strikes/boycotts)Īfter Taft-Hartley came into effect, many states also implemented “right to work” laws, meaning people could work at a given establishment without needing to join a union - a worker would not be “forced” to join a union or pay dues (which is already illegal at the federal level). It gave the President authority to appoint a board of inquiry to investigate labor disputes or ask the Attorney General for a federal injunction if it appears that a strike would imperil national health or safety Union shops were only permitted should a majority of employees vote for it Workers were given the right to decline joining a union Unions were required to give 60 days advance notice of strikes And while unions were still basically permitted to engage in similar activities under Taft-Hartley, there were some significant changes. In fact, under the Taft-Hartley Act, union officers were required to deny Communist affiliation under oath. The Taft-Hartley Act may have been a reaction to general Communist paranoia of the time. What Did the Taft-Hartley Act Do? Provisions of the Taft-Hartley Act It was at this point that Congress passed the Taft-Hartley Act (also known as the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947), which significantly chipped away at the Wagner Act's key provisions. Prohibited employers from firing or otherwise discriminating against workers who organized or join unionsĪlmost a decade later, Capital Hill and constituents alike feared not only communist takeover (hello, “Red Scare”), but communist intervention in labor unions, especially after such momentous strikes were actually turning folks against unions (in fact, many film workers were blacklisted for participating in such activities). Prohibited employers from unfair labor practices (including instating company unions)Īllowed workers to engage in activities to address or improve working conditions To better understand how Taft-Hartley altered the landscape of union workers and employers, it’s crucial to unpack the functionality of the Wagner Act which:Īllowed workers to collectively bargain with employers through a chosen representative
Taft-Hartley Precursor Key Provisions of Wagner Act
After the implementation of the Wagner Act, union numbers were strong “closed” shops (an agreement in which an employer agrees to hire only union members) and “union” shops (an agreement in which employees must join a union upon being hired) were permitted, and high membership meant more powerful unions, and therefore, more large-scale strikes.
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