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UNIONS AFTRA & SAG Sending Union Merger Agreement To Their Boards For Vote January 18, 2012 (  VOXtra) - A lock is on the details of a proposed merger between AFTRA and SAG - the two major performers' unions in the U.S. - but later this month, the boards of both unions will review and vote on a merger package.AFTRA is the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and SAG is the Screen Actors Guild. More voice actors belong to AFTRA than SAG. Hammered out in a recent nine-day session in Los Angeles by a joint committee called the AFTRA and SAG Group for One Union (G1), the deal follows years of speculation and a formal discussion process begun last spring. BOARDS TO VOTE According to a joint AFTRA/SAG press release, the proposal - which includes a Merger Agreement and Constitution - will be reviewed for a vote by the SAG National Board of Directors when it meets on Jan. 27-28, and by the AFTRA Board of Directors on Jan. 28 and the 29th "if needed." Details of the proposed merger package will not be released prior to the AFTRA and SAG board meetings 'CONFIDENT' ABOUT APPROVAL "What we have accomplished over the last year is tremendously gratifying," said SAG National President Ken Howard and AFTRA National President Roberta Reardon in the joint statement. "We are confident our members will agree that we have created something we can all be proud of - actors, singers, broadcasters, dancers, voiceover artists, background actors, stuntpersons and all entertainment and media professionals that will be represented by this new union," they said. "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." CAPS YEAR OF DISCUSSIONS The G1 began its fifth round of talks on Jan. 7 and concluded on Jan. 15. Meetings were held at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel and at AFTRA and SAG headquarters in Los Angeles. The SAG and AFTRA merger planning process and G1 meetings were facilitated by Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations Professor Susan J. Schurman and labor consultant Peter S. DiCicco, using principles of interest-based problem solving and consensus decision making. Formally, the process began in April 2010, when AFTRA’s top elected leaders published an open letter in AFTRA Magazine about their commitment to creating one media and entertainment union for all performers, recording artists and broadcast professionals. In July 2010, Presidents Howard and Reardon created the "Presidents’ Forum for One Union” to facilitate focused and informal discussions between leaders of the two unions and their members to establish a common vision for a single, new national union. For more about each union, visit: AFTRA: www.AFTRA.org SAG: www.SAG.org |
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Roy Wells
1/19/2012 at 8:11 AM
BULLY!!
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