Local News in Brief : Writers, Producers Meet

As a strike by Hollywood writers entered its second day, negotiators for the Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers met Tuesday under the auspices of a federal mediator.

Spokesmen for the two sides did not disclose whether progress was made during the daylong session at the mediator’s office in Los Angeles. The talks were to resume Thursday in alliance headquarters in Sherman Oaks.

An officer of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service called the talks after 9,000 movie and TV writers launched an industrywide strike earlier this week.

The mediator cannot force any arbitration of labor disputes but can encourage continued discussion. The sides had broken off talks after coming to a negotiating impasse last weekend.

In another development, the West Coast board of the guild voted unanimously Tuesday evening to deny a request for a waiver from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences that would have allowed guild members to write for the April 11 Oscars ceremony.