Hollywood writers turn to NLRB

LOS ANGELES - Union officials representing striking Hollywood writers said yesterday they filed an unfair-labor-practices complaint claiming studios violated federal law by breaking off negotiations.

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) also demanded that the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers return to the bargaining so the six-week strike can be ended and thousands of workers idled by the walkout can return to their jobs.

Negotiations broke off Dec. 7, when the alliance refused to bargain further unless the union dropped a half-dozen proposals that included the authority to unionize writers on reality shows and animation projects.

The producers alliance criticized the complaint filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

The "baseless, desperate NLRB complaint is just the latest indication that the WGA's negotiating strategy has achieved nothing for working writers," the producers fired back in a prepared statement.

The labor board did not immediately return a call to its Los Angeles office.

The guild said in its statement that it was "a clear violation of federal law for the AMPTP to issue an ultimatum and break off negotiations if we fail to cave to their illegal demands." *