Mediator Acts in Writers Strike

Just hours after the Writers Guild of America struck the film and TV industry, a federal mediator in Los Angeles today asked both sides to meet with him Wednesday afternoon in an effort to end what could prove a lengthy, costly walkout.

While neither the guild nor the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers is required to attend the meeting, “I would certainly hope they would respect the request,” said Commissioner Leonard Farrell of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. There was no immediate response from either side.