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The Society of Stage Directors and
Choreographers is an independent labor
union for Stage Directors and
Choreographers. Member representatives of the
organization collectively
bargain contracts with producer organizations, thus
creating the
national standards for professional stage direction and choreography.
The organization has an office in New York City which services
approximately
1700 members and 300 associates in the US and abroad. An
executive board,
elected from the membership, oversees negotiations,
sets policy and hires the
administrative staff. SSDC publishes a
newsletter six times per year, and
membership meetings are held twice a
year. |
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You can apply for SSDC Membership or Associate
Membership by filling out
our online membership
form, or download the form as a PDF and return it to SSDC.
To qualify for SSDC Membership, a director and/or
choreographer will
need to provide proof of
professional credits, which the union defines
as jobs
on productions with any union affiliations. Members
pay an
initiation fee and yearly dues, plus an
assessment on all fees and
royalties earned under SSDC contracts.
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Associate Membership is
available to early career directors, college and university
professionals and community theatre directors and choreographers.
Associates
receive the newsletter, and can call the administrative
offices for contract advice,
boiler-plate contract text and standard
minimums. The main difference between
members and associates is that
associates may not file contracts, which is an
important distinction
as it excludes associates from qualifying for pension and health
benefits. The initiation fee and yearly dues for associates are less
than that of full
members, and an associate's initiation payment is
creditable towards their full
member initiation payment should they wish
to upgrade.
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A member's Health
and Pension Benefits are provided under the auspices of the
SSDC-League Health Fund and the SSDC-League Pension Fund,
respectively. Members are eligible to participate in the health
plan if they are employed under an SSDC contract and sufficient
employer contributions are made to the SSDC-League Health Fund on
their behalf. A member is eligible for a pension once they reach
age 65, provided they are "vested", i.e. they have worked
under SSDC contracts subject to employer pension contributions in
each of seven years with no substantial break in service (five-year
vesting will be in effect after 9/1/99 for those with SSDC contracts
after that date).
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In the interest of
insuring a member's right of first refusal, property rights and other
basic contract protections, SSDC's work rules state that members must work under
contract whenever or wherever they direct or choreograph. The
union has promulgated
contracts for members who wish to work for
producers who are not
signatories to SSDC's
collectively bargained
agreements. As these contracts are not collectively bargained,
minimum
fees are negotiable. However, tiered health and pension payments that
correspond to the fees are established and are not negotiable. |
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