Stunt Performers’ overtime is contractually waived for doing dangerous stunts costing them thousands of dollars in wages and pension & health contributions. The dangerous stunts pay big stunt adjustments that push the stunt performer to a different schedule break which eliminates all cumulative weekly overtime pay, (a.k.a time-and-a-half) in a 44+ hour week. This costs the performer thousands of dollars in wages and pension & health contributions.
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE:
In some instances, just making $1 too much in adjustments can trigger the loss of thousands of dollars in wages, pension and health contributions while continuing to subject a stunt performer’s body to extreme wear and tear.
Stunt Performers hired under a weekly schedule/contract have a weekly rate of $3,746 with a money cap/ceiling of $5,000 for television and a weekly rate of $3,746 with a money cap/ceiling of $6,350 for theatrical. Stunt Performers also can receive additional money (adjustments) for performing dangerous, risky and skilled action. The stunt adjustment amounts vary from a few bucks to thousands of dollars depending on the risk involved. These life threatening stunts performed earn high adjustment money which is added into the stunt performer’s base pay and calculated into their overtime for a base rate (weekly rate + stunt adjustments). If the stunt performer exceeds the schedule/money break, then they are moved onto a different schedule which does not include cumulative weekly overtime, essentially penalizing the stunt performer for doing big and dangerous stunts.
Example of a stunt performer employed on a theatrical weekly contract, working a 50 hour week (10hrs/day, M-F, excluding lunch), not on location:
No Schedule Change:
Weekly Base Rate: $3,746
Stunt Adjustment: $2,603
Cumulative Overtime (6 hours):$1,125
Total Weekly Pay: $7,474
Schedule Change:
Weekly Base Rate: $3,746
Stunt Adjustment: $2,604
Cumulative Overtime (6 Hours): $0
Total Weekly Pay: $6,350
Loss of Wages: $1,124
Difference in Base Pay: $1
This proposed contract does nothing to correct this antiquated schedule break because it only applies to episodic television where high risk stunts are not near as common as they are in features and would help less than 4% of the stunt community. Also, the ability to achieve cumulative overtime in general is difficult for television stunt performers but with the recent loss of Portal to Portal (travel time to and from set while on location) and with now limiting work hours mandated by Covid 19 guidelines will make it virtually impossible. The leadership is fully aware of this issue and failed to address it, leaving stunt performers penalized for simply doing their job.