Screen Actors Guild makes White permanent director

The Screen Actors Guild has made permanent the status of interim national executive director David White.

The guild said in a news release Sunday that White has also been named the union's chief negotiator.

White got the interim director job after a boardroom coup by moderates in January ousted previous executive director and chief negotiator Doug Allen during the union's long labor struggle with Hollywood studios.

John McGuire - who had been serving as chief negotiator for the guild - will remain as a senior adviser.

White was managing principal of the Los Angeles consulting firm Entertainment Strategies Group before joining SAG earlier this year.

© 2009 The Associated Press.