Contract Talks Between Producers and 2 Actors Unions Bogged Down

Negotiations aimed at averting a strike that could delay the start of the fall television season bogged down Friday and dragged on late into the night for the third consecutive time.

Friday’s meeting was the fifth lengthy negotiating session of the week between two major actors’ unions and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. They are trying to reach a new three-year contract.

Both sides said they wanted to avoid a strike that would bring a halt to the filming of feature movies and prime-time television series, which already have begun shooting for the fall.

A strike would not affect daytime soap operas, television news, radio shows or the filming of commercials, all of which are covered by other contracts.

Expressed Confidence

Negotiations resumed at 10 a.m. Friday, after recessing at 1:35 a.m. At that time, Beverly Garland, a member of the actors’ negotiating team, said she was confident that an agreement would be reached by 5 p.m. Friday.

By midafternoon, however, Mark Locher, the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) public relations director, told reporters outside the producers’ Sherman Oaks headquarters, where the negotiations are being held, that a conclusion to the talks was not imminent.

Early in the evening, he said the tension level had risen among the negotiators.

“We’re getting down to the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ stage,” Locher said.

A member of the union’s negotiating team said, “We’re at the stage where we have to make some hard choices.”

Carol Akiyama, senior vice president of the producers’ alliance would say only that she was encouraged that the two sides were continuing to exchange proposals but her optimism also appeared to be sagging.

Received Approval

Earlier this week, SAG and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the other union involved in the negotiations, announced that they had received overwhelming approval from their members to call a strike if necessary.

If the negotiations break down and a strike is called, there will not be an immediate work stoppage because of the procedures the two unions have for initiating a walkout. There would be no picketing before Tuesday at the earliest, AFTRA spokeswoman Pamm Fair said.