COMPANY TOWN ANNEX

SAG-AFTRA Merger Plan Tentatively Approved: A three-day meeting of the boards of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists came to an end with a vote on a blueprint to merge the two unions. The measure, first proposed 50 years ago, passed by a vote of 128 to 8. Jurisdictional disputes between the two unions (both of whom represent a broad, sometimes overlapping range of entertainment industry performers) as well as the desire to present a united front in the face of new technologies gave impetus to the move. Before becoming a reality, additional work must be completed by the two boards, after which the proposal will be submitted to the respective memberships for ratification.