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The entire city of Los Angeles depends on the entertainment industry, and Mayor Richard Riordan is doing his best to find a way to prevent strikes by screenwriters and actors that could have crippling economic repercussions.

"Thousands upon thousands" of Los Angeles businesses would be hurt by the strikes, the mayor said at a publicity event Thursday, April 26, just a few days short of a scheduled work stoppage by members of the Writers Guild of America, whose current contract expires May 1. Actors belonging to the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Screen Actors Guild will also stop working if their contracts aren't renewed by June 30.

Should the strikes proceed as scheduled, film and television production will soon come to a standstill, affecting thousands of technical workers and an enormous number of peripheral businesses that depend on them. Concerned about the impact prolonged strikes would have on his city, Riordan has worked tirelessly for conciliation on the part of both the studios and the unions, without getting personally involved in the discussions.

The city of New York may also feel the effects of a strike, but Los Angeles will be hit hardest. Upper-tier executives, actors, and writers have sufficient resources to weather a strike of any length, but those further down the food chain won't be so lucky. Earlier this year, Riordan approved city sponsorship of a $30,000 study, which predicted that a prolonged strike could cost Los Angeles as many as 81,900 jobs and $6.9 billion in income.

Riordan has used the study's sobering conclusions to motivate negotiators to reach agreements before the impending deadlines. The mayor has done his best to publicize his hope that strikes may be averted by extending current contracts while new ones are being negotiated. He explained that he has avoided direct involvement in negotiations because he felt that would be "very counterproductive." A better tactic, he said, is "getting this message out on the effect on the economy."