More Celebrities Pledge Support of SAG-AFTRA Consolidation

Citing urgent need for greater strength in the face of industry changes, Robert Redford, Gregory Peck, Meryl Streep, Billy Crystal, Michael J. Fox, Randy Newman, Sam Moore and Bonnie Raitt announce plans to vote “YES”

Top Names Joining Unions’ Members in Campaign to Build New “Partnership for Power”

LOS ANGELES--- The need for greater strength at the bargaining table has prompted many more high-profile members of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) to announce their intent to vote “YES” in favor of the proposed consolidation of the two organizations into one, powerful new union.

Some of the newest endorsers include:

Gregory Peck

Robert Redford

Billy Crystal

Meryl Streep

Michael J. Fox

Rock-‘n’-Roll Hall of Fame honoree Sam Moore

Randy Newman

Peter Bergman ("The Young and the Restless")

John McCook ("The Bold and the Beautiful")

Bonnie Raitt Chad Brannon ("General Hospital")

Lesley-Anne Down

Stellan Skarsgard

Michael Gross

Tracy Pollan

Janel Moloney

These recognizable names join a growing endorsers list of SAG and AFTRA members.

“Consolidation will create a more efficient, up-to-date union that is stronger at the bargaining table and better able to respond to economic and technological changes in the entertainment industry. The proposed plan will also facilitate the merger of the unions’ health and pension funds. We need this Plan now,” says Gregory Peck.

"For working recording artists, benefits mean the difference between quitting the business and doing what we love. A single union can protect our health and pension plans, and that's reason enough to vote YES," says Bonnie Raitt.

Last week SAG and AFTRA debuted a list of over two hundred names in support of the Plan, which was overwhelmingly approved by both national union boards on April 13.

The Consolidation Plan calls for the creation of an umbrella union and three affiliates respectively, SAG for actors, AFTRA for broadcasters and AFRA for recording artists. Each union will send referendums for ratification to its members on June 9. Both AFTRA and SAG’s Constitution and Bylaws require at least a 60% majority of votes cast for passage.

Members needing additional information about Consolidation should visit the website at www.partnershipforpower.org or call the hotline at 800-711-4421.

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