Business Notes LABOR

What good is Fred Flintstone if he can't yell "Yabba dabba doo"? The top five animation companies faced that and similar questions last week, when the 200 actors who supply the vocal antics of the Flintstones, the Smurfs and many other favorite cartoon characters went on strike. Carrying placards that read NO MICKEY MOUSE BARGAINING, the usually heard-but-not-seen actors picketed such entertainment giants as Disney Productions and Hanna-Barbera and vowed silence until their year-old contract dispute with the companies is settled.

One demand by the actors, who typically perform three major parts during a recording session, is a reduction of that load to one principal role plus two minor parts unless they are paid extra on top of the standard wage of $45 an hour. Says Frank Welker, who supplies the voice of Baby Kermit in Muppet Babies: "All we're asking for is more flies in our soup."