SAG, AFTRA one step closer to merger

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16 (UPI) -- The national boards of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists are to review and vote on a merger package this month.

The AFTRA and SAG Group for One Union said it met for nine days in Los Angeles to continue the process of creating a successor union to SAG and AFTRA, and prepare the merger package.

The SAG national board of directors will meet Jan. 27-28 to review and vote on the package.

The AFTRA board is to meet Jan. 28 and, if needed, Jan. 29 to review and vote on the package.

Details of the proposed merger package will not be released prior to the AFTRA and SAG board meetings.

"What we have accomplished over the last year is tremendously gratifying. We are confident our members will agree that we have created something we can all be proud of -- actors, singers, broadcasters, dancers, voice-over artists, background actors, stunt-persons and all entertainment and media professionals that will be represented by this new union. The consensus process allowed our G1 members to fully discuss, debate and reach agreement on critical provisions that form a strong foundation for a single union that will protect and strengthen the future for all our members," SAG National President Ken Howard and AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon said in a joint statement Monday.