LOS ANGELES -- Leaders of Hollywood's biggest actors union ended a two-day meeting here Tuesday but failed to set a date for a referendum that could lead to a potentially devastating walkout.

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) board met during a two-day, 30-hour showdown to discuss divisions within the union over plans to hold a strike authorization ballot following the breakdown of contract talks with Hollywood producers.

The meeting ended with no new date for the authorization ballot, originally scheduled to take place on January 2 before being postponed amid howls of protest from moderate members opposed to a strike.

"No mailing date has been set for the previously approved TV/Theatrical strike authorization referendum," the SAG statement said. "We have no further comment."

Efforts to replace lead negotiator Doug Allen by members opposed to a strike were unsuccessful, the statement added.

SAG leaders said last month they would call a referendum to obtain strike authorization from the union's 120,000 members.

Although union leaders have said that they wanted to avoid a stoppage, they argued that a vote authorizing a strike would give them greater leverage at the bargaining table with Hollywood producers.

The actors union has been in a standoff with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) since a previous contract expired in June. Fresh attempts to broker a deal foundered in November.

The actors union is holding out for a greater share of royalties from sales and showings of work screened on the Internet.

The AMPTP said the actors' demands were unreasonable and have refused to improve a final offer made in June, similar to other agreements reached with writers, directors and a smaller actors union.