SAG and AFTRA Members Vote to Merge

It seems that the third time was the charm.

After two failed attempts, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) members have approved a merger of the two unions, now to be called SAG-AFTRA. With a 57% return of the AFTRA membership and a 53% return of the SAG membership voting overwhelmingly in favor of merger (at 86% and 82%, respectively). Both unions needed at least 60% of each union to say yes. More than 55,000 SAG ballots and 37,500 AFTRA ballots were returned.

SAG-AFTRA national co-presidents Ken Howard and Roberta Reardon announced the results at 1:35pm Pacific time (4:35pm Eastern time), in a press conference that was live streamed. More than 6,000 viewers watched the announcement online.

SAG represented more than 125,000 actors who work in film and digital motion pictures and TV programs, commercials, video games, corporate/educational, Internet and all new-media formats. AFTRA represented more than 70,000 performers, journalists and other artists working in the entertainment and news media.

For more information on SAG-AFTRA, click here.