American Federation Of Television And Radio Artist

Hollywood's squabbling actors unions appear to be ready to bury the hatchet. It's been almost two years since the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists broke off its 27-year bargaining pact with the Screen Actors Guild, with whom it waged turf battles, including a tiff over the CBS soap "The Bold and the Beautiful." But Sunday, a key committee of AFTRA is expected to recommend to its national board that the union resume joint bargaining with SAG for prime-time TV contracts, people familiar with the situation said.

After a marathon meeting, Hollywood's two main actors unions took a historic step toward creating the largest and potentially most powerful entertainment union in the industry. Leaders of the 125,000-member Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which has about 70,000 members, reached a merger agreement Monday after nine days of intensive talks at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. If approved as expected by the union boards and memberships, the merger would end a decades-long competition between the two groups to organize actors.

After a marathon meeting, Hollywood's two main actors unions took a historic step toward creating the largest and potentially most powerful entertainment union in the industry. Leaders of the 125,000-member Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, which has about 70,000 members, reached a merger agreement Monday after nine days of intensive talks at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel. If approved as expected by the union boards and memberships, the merger would end a decades-long competition between the two groups to organize actors.

Hollywood's squabbling actors unions appear to be ready to bury the hatchet. It's been almost two years since the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists broke off its 27-year bargaining pact with the Screen Actors Guild, with whom it waged turf battles, including a tiff over the CBS soap "The Bold and the Beautiful." But Sunday, a key committee of AFTRA is expected to recommend to its national board that the union resume joint bargaining with SAG for prime-time TV contracts, people familiar with the situation said.