Updated

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists says it will start contract talks with Hollywood producers on April 28.

in an announcement Wednesday, the union said it decided to push back its negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers to give the Screen Actors Guild time to work out a separate deal with studios.

The talks involving the Screen Actors Guild are scheduled to begin on April 15.

The two unions had for decades negotiated together with producers, even while sniping at each other over who better represents some 44,000 actors who are members of both groups.

Last weekend, the union representing TV and radio artists decided to sever that negotiating arrangement.