Ratcheting up labor tensions in Hollywood, leaders of the Writers Guild of America on Monday said they would ask members for authorization to call a strike if the union is unable to negotiate a new three-year contract with major studios, Los Angeles Times reports.

“Because the stakes are so high, it is necessary to empower your negotiators with the tools needed to make the best possible deal,” the union stated in a letter posted on its website. “It is apparent that the companies do not yet feel the pressure to conduct serious negotiations.”

The request was not unexpected. Unions often seek strike authorizations to gain leverage in negotiations. The Screen Actors Guild, for example, obtained a strike authorization from members last year before signing a new agreement with producers of cable TV programs.

What’s more, negotiations between writers and producers, which began July 16 and are set to resume Thursday, have been unusually contentious.

If a majority of the guild’s members grant the authorization, the union board members could call a strike any time after the current agreement expires Oct. 31. Ballots are due Oct. 18.

The sides are far apart on several issues, especially the thorny matter of pay for work that is distributed via the Internet and other new media. So far, neither side has gone beyond lambasting the other’s proposals.

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