Droga5 NYC has come under fire from a major union, which has accused it of exploiting actors used in digital ads.
The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) is accusing the global advertising agency of under-cutting its members by employing a “double standard” in its ad making.
The performers' union says a growth in digital ads has given a boost to the industry overall by creating more work for its members. However, it also says Droga5 is just one of a number of agencies that could be doing better in its hiring practices.
It's trying to get its point across in a series of tweets and blogs which suggest it would be mutually beneficial for all involved if Droga5 always used unionised workers.
Despite this causing waves in the US, Zoe Angus, director of Actors Equity Australia, said this is not a major problem in this country. However, the organisation (SAG-AFTRA's equivalent here) encourages members to report when they are asked to work under subpar conditions.
"Overwhelmingly Australian actors working on Australian TV commercials are engaged on the industry standard television commercials contract. If they are offered rates or conditions below this we urge them to contact us,” she told AdNews.
SAG-AFTRA's effort is promised to be the first push in an ongoing campaign that will cast its focus far beyond just Droga5 as it looks to address a long standing problem for performers in the US.
Calling the agency out by referencing its own slogan, SAG said: “Slogans are all well and good (and expected in the ad business), but eroding industry standards for the most vulnerable performers isn’t consistent with being 'humanity obsessed'.
“SAG-AFTRA’s outreach on Droga5 is just the beginning of a larger campaign to bring the digital advertising sector up to the standards that have existed in the advertising industry for decades. We hope Droga5 hears SAG-AFTRA members’ message, and thinks hard about whether it’s time to live up to its self-professed values."
In a late October blog on the topic, the union says hiring non-unionised workers causes the industry overall to suffer.
“[Some ad agencies] pay market rates for union directors, actors and crews — when they need to. Other times, they’re hiring non-professional actors and paying sub-standard wages without benefits to them, while working with union crews," the union said.
“This practice not only exploits pre-union performers who are willing to take the job just to get the credit, but it also erodes the good wages and benefits union actors have worked to achieve over the years."
SAG-AFTRA represents approximately 160,000 actors, announcers, broadcast journalists, dancers, DJs, news writers, news editors, program hosts, puppeteers, recording artists, singers, stunt performers, voice over artists and other media professionals in the US.
In September, Droga5 announced it would be closing the doors of its Sydney location just months after it came out swinging about getting the struggling office back on track.
Since the news broke, as many as eight staff headed to the Big Apple for jobs at Droga5 NYC.
Jaimes Leggett has since taken over the spot held by ex-Droga5 Sydney CEO, Sudeep Gohil, on the Comms Council.
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