MOVIES - Jan. 31, 1992

Can We Talk?: With the possibility of a production slowdown looming, Hollywood’s major studios and production companies will convene bargaining talks today with the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists. A news blackout has been imposed on the negotiations, which are expected to last until Feb. 12. A key issue is whether SAG will be allowed to become bargaining agent for the Screen Extras Guild. The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers argues that bringing extras under SAG would add $34 million to the cost of production, a figure the union disputes.