N.Y. actors call for federal mediation

NEW YORK, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- New York Screen Actors Guild leaders say they want federal mediation in their contract negotiations, representing a split with the California leadership.

The seven-week stalemate between the union and Hollywood producers resulted in a call by SAG's New York Division board Sunday for a federal mediator to enter the picture if there's no progress at the bargaining table by next week, the show business newspaper Variety reported Monday.

"All of us in New York, Hollywood and across the country should be concerned about how this failure to reach an agreement is impacting our members," New York SAG President Sam Freed told reporters, saying that while some SAG leaders felt there was "all the time in the world" to negotiate an agreement, those in New York did not.

Variety said the statement also accused SAG's leaders of playing politics by not moving forward on the contract until after the guild's Sept. 18 elections, an accusation angrily rejected by SAG President Alan Rosenberg, who noted actors are losing more than $1.7 million per week working under the expired contract.

SAG National Executive Director Doug Allen told reporters that mediation had not prevented the Writers Guild of America strike last fall.