AFTRA, SAG Vote to Merge

At a videoconference meeting, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild national boards of directors approved a plan to consolidate the unions by a vote of 141 to 3. The plan calls for the creation of an umbrella union and three affiliates operating within that umbrella and dedicated to, respectively, actors, broadcasters and recording artists.
The unions have directed their staffs to begin drafting a constitution, a business plan, and a plan for implementation and transition, all to be submitted to the joint boards at a meeting scheduled for April 5 in Washington. Upon each board’s approval, each union will send referendums for ratification to its members. Both AFTRA and SAG’s constitution and bylaws require at least a 60% majority of votes cast for passage.