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BURBANK — Some strikers and local businesses are praising a new proposal from the writers guild to negotiate individually with potential employers rather than with the producers alliance.

The Writers Guild of America and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers have not formally met since Dec. 7. Facing the prospects of a prolonged work stoppage, the writers guild decided this week to embark on a new strategy.

“We want to do everything in our power to move negotiations forward and end this devastating strike,” the writers guild said in a statement. “We have therefore decided to reach out to major Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers companies and begin to negotiate with them individually.”

Talks broke down after the producers said they would not hold any more negotiations with the writers union unless it dropped proposals that included authorization to join strikes of other labor organizations and full control over reality television and animation projects.

The producers quickly responded, saying in a statement that the union’s “existing unreasonable, inconsistent and impractical negotiating strategy is guaranteed to produce only losers in this strike.”

Reaction on Monday morning in front of Walt Disney Studios in Burbank supported the union’s strategy.

“It makes a lot of sense to me,” said Marc Guggenheim, a writer and executive producer of “Eli Stone.” “We’ve been trying to strike a deal, and the [producers] have walked twice. We might as well negotiate with the people we are in business with. It’s just the next natural step.

Jeff Melvoin, an executive producer for “Army Wives” and a writer, also praised the guild’s new plan, calling it a “creative strategy that shows sincerity on our part.”

Both writers brushed aside concerns that public opinion might sway from the writers, who have traditionally fared well in polls.

On Nov. 14, a Pepperdine University Graziadio School of Business poll found that nearly two-thirds of all Americans side with the writers.

“The longer we stay there is less of a likelihood we will settle,” Melvoin said.

Guggenheim agreed, laying the blame at the feet of the producers.

“For anyone who blames us, what would you have us do?” he asked. “We can’t negotiate with ourselves.”

In another development Monday, NBC announced that two of its late-night hosts, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien, will return to the air Jan. 2.

“Now that the talks have broken down and there are no further negotiations scheduled, I feel it’s my responsibility to get my 100 non-writing staff, which were laid off, back to work,” Leno said in a statement.

The guild was skeptical that their return would change people’s perception of the strike.

“NBC forcing Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien back on the air without writers is not going to provide the quality entertainment that the public deserves,” the guild said in a statement.

But the news of Leno’s return was welcomed in Burbank.

“They were great customers,” Jillian Roppolo, a manager at McCormick & Schmick’s, said of Jay Leno’s crew. “We really do miss them.”

“We’re looking forward to him coming back.”

Gary Olson, president and chief executive of the Burbank Chamber of Commerce, was also pleased.

“I welcome it,” he said. “I think it’s a real positive and step forward in terms of the impact on Burbank.”

?RACHEL KANE covers education. She may be reached at (818) 637-3205 or by e-mail at rachel.kane@latimes.com.