LOS ANGELES (March 30, 2012) — The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and Screen Actors Guild are pleased to announce that members of both organizations have overwhelmingly voted to approve a merger, creating a new entity, SAG-AFTRA. SAG members voted 82 percent in favor of the merger. AFTRA members favored the merger with 86 percent, exceeding the 60 percent threshold needed for both unions’ membership for passage.

SAG and AFTRA Merger Ballots Will Be Counted March 30 as Scheduled

Los Angeles (March 28, 2012) – Federal Judge James Otero today denied the plaintiffs’ motion for preliminary injunction in Sheen v SAG clearing the way for Screen Actors Guild’s merger referendum ballot counting to go forward as scheduled on Friday, March 30.

The Screen Actors Guild - Producers Pension and Health Plans first priority is its fiduciary responsibility to its participants. The Plans have effectively operated to provide some of the most significant benefits to our participants to be found anywhere in the world. However, recent media accounts containing erroneous claims about Federal officials raiding documents from the Plans and investigations into alleged cover ups have created an environment of misinformation that we want to dispel with the following clarifications:

Dear SAG and AFTRA Members: