MUMBAI: With the SAG board of directors having approved a proposed merger with AFTRA on Friday, the two unions have come a step closer towards unision, eight decades after they were founded.

The proposal, which includes a Merger Agreement and Constitution, was approved 87.1 per cent to 12.9 per cent. According to a SAG statement, the documents in question outline the merger plan, dues and finance structure, membership requirements and other basic attributes of the successor union that would be named SAG-AFTRA.

All eyes will now turn to AFTRA.

Said AFTRA president Roberta Reardon in a statement, ?I would like to congratulate the SAG National Board members on overwhelmingly approving the merger plan proposal at their meeting today. I look forward to our discussion tomorrow at the AFTRA National Board meeting.?

AFTRA?s board is expected to approve the proposal as well ? probably by an even higher margin than SAG?s board.

If approved, SAG president Ken Howard and AFTRA president Reardon are likely to make a high profile announcement regarding the balloting during the nationally televised SAG Awards on Sunday.