SAG-AFTRA Merger: Exclusive Interview with SAG President, Ken Howard

There is a lot of debate going on in the entertainment industry about the possible merger of the two main actors' unions in Hollywood:  Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists.  The current status is up for vote and I recently turned in my ballot.  I have voted for a merger several times in the past because I felt like the strength of unions has weakened since the 1950's and 1960's.  When the other mergers did not pass, the unions started to compete for contracts ultimately hurting the people they represent:  actors.  Now, as a host, many of my broadcast contracts, including The Web Files, fall under a SAG New Media contract.  While I do have certain reservations about some of the merger points, I did vote "yes" because I do not see any other option in order to keep our union relevant, viable, and strong through the next decade.  Last night, I caught up with Ken Howard, current SAG president, on the red carpet at the 20th Anniversary Alzheimer's Association, "A Night at Sardi's" at the Beverly Hilton. Right away, I hit him with the merger question.  Here is his exclusive response to Red Carpet Report and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below on this hot topic: