"Our leadership was optimistic that federal mediation would help to move our negotiations forward, but despite the guild's extraordinary efforts to reach agreement, the mediation was adjourned shortly before 1 a.m. today," SAG said in a statement Saturday. "Management continues to insist on terms we cannot responsibly accept on behalf of our members. As previously authorized by the National Board of Directors, we will now launch a full-scale education campaign in support of a strike authorization referendum.

"Now it's time for SAG members to stand united and empower the national negotiating committee to bargain with the strength of a possible work stoppage behind them. We remain committed to avoiding a strike but now, more than ever, we cannot allow our employers to experiment with our careers."

SAG said no time line had been set for the mailing or return of the strike authorization ballots.

The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which has repeatedly stated a package it presented to SAG June 30 was its final offer, pointed out in its own statement that SAG is the only major Hollywood guild that has failed to negotiate a labor deal in 2008.

"Now, SAG is bizarrely asking its members to bail out the failed negotiating strategy with a strike vote -- at a time of historic economic crisis," the producers group said. "The tone deafness of SAG is stunning."