The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are nearing a merger, though not as quickly as some would hope. In May, SAG and AFTRA will hold their respective national board meetings, and sources report that talks between the two unions could result in the creation of a committee(s) responsible for drafting a plan for a formal merger.
“What will come out, hopefully, from the AFTRA plenary is an order from the national board to go forward and seat the official committee that will do the official work of combining the unions,” said AFTRA president Roberta Reardon. “They will create the plan.”
One report circulating is talk of a marriage between the two unions, “will probably emerge when SAG’s national board holds its plenary meeting on April 30 and May 1.” SAG President Ken Howard and Reardon-both members of the joint Presidents’ Forum for One Union- have spent months on a “listening tour” gathering members feedback regarding the proposed merger.
“The plan will be developed by the full merger committee, which cannot even be formed until both unions meet at their spring plenaries,” a source close to one of the unions said. “Assuming the two boards decide to proceed and form their respective committees, then the combined committee will meet, and whatever plan is agreed to will be brought back to the two national boards for their approval.”
Once the national board approves the plan, it will be sent out to all members of both unions for ratification.
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