Local News in Brief : Drivers, Producers Resume Bargaining

A federal mediator got striking Hollywood studio drivers and film and television producers back to the bargaining table late Tuesday, raising hope from a union official that a compromise might be reached in the 2-week-old labor dispute.

The mediator, Barbara Pickett-Conner, called negotiators for the Teamsters Union and the 200-member Alliance of Motion Picture Television Producers back to the table one day after a 2-hour bargaining session was adjourned with no reports of progress.

Earl Bush, chief negotiator for the 2,100 Teamster drivers, said he was optimistic that the mediator’s order will contribute “some real progress in these talks.”

The two sides remain at odds over a producers’ proposal to alter work schedules so that drivers who worked less than a full week could be called for weekend duty without being paid overtime. The drivers are also disputing potential wage freezes and cutbacks for drivers in certain classifications.