On July 18, Los Angeles City Comptroller Kenneth Mejia tweeted these “before” and “after” photos of a row of ficus trees on Parham Avenue. along the NBCUniversal area. He said his office is investigating the pruning of the tree.
NBCUniversal’s share limits are now a flashpoint of mistrust on the ground in Hollywood’s double whammy. On July 18, the WGA and SAG-AFTRA filed similar complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that NBCUniversal had engaged in “illegal conduct” by having the picketers march along blocks of Lankershim Avenue. A pedestrian sidewalk at the west end of campus that was improperly obstructed by the studio’s ongoing campus construction work. The filings allege that the studio ignored advice from the Los Angeles Police Department to create concrete barriers for pedestrian safety.
After hours Hollywood Reporter First publicizing the job board’s complaints (the studio says it will cooperate with any inquiries from the agencies), Los Angeles City Comptroller Kenneth Mejia — an outspoken progressive who runs a municipal office that audits government agencies — chirp that his department would “investigate tree pruning that occurred outside Universal Studios where workers, writers, and actors were exercising their right to picket.”
The WGA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, SAG-AFTRA noted: “Suspiciously timed construction that forced detainees onto the streets without proper safety barriers, and now tree trimming and shade removal during a record heat wave, has forced SAG-AFTRA to determine that it cannot safely send its members to a sit-in.” at NBCUniversal.” The actors’ union added that, through the Action Council and other means, it was working with the Writers Guild “to address this flagrant violation of our members’ rights.”
Mejia seems to have responded recently social modes cry Along the trees along Parham Avenue. After they have been pruned in mid-summer, when walker shade is most needed. (This section of the NBCUniversal lot is on the northeast corner of campus; Warner Bros.’s back-unit audio plays can be seen on the road, past the Los Angeles River.)
An NBCUniversal spokesperson noted a statement provided to the media prior to Mejia’s announcement: “We understand that Tree Safety is cutting Ficus trees that we did on Barham Blvd. Creating unintended challenges for protesters, it was not our intent. In partnership with licensed arborists, we did We prune these trees annually at this time of year to ensure the canopies are on before high winds season. We support the WGA and SAG’s right to parade, and are working to provide some shade coverage. We continue to communicate publicly with onsite labor leaders to work together during this time.” .
Tree trimming along public sidewalks is usually done by the Los Angeles Department of Public Works’ Office of Street Services. according to its urban forests websiteThe current tree pruning cycle is about 15 years. THR I requested comment from the agency.
Shortly after this story was published, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, whose jurisdiction includes Parham Avenue. sidewalk, chirp It looked into the matter with the BSS Urban Forestry Division and “found that no permit had been issued to prune any trees at this location”. It also shared a statement from the office indicating that a Notice of Compliance has been issued to NBC Universal and that its enforcement arm will consider an administrative citation or hearing. Prior to joining the Los Angeles City Council, Raman herself did sit-downs during the 2007 WGA hiatus in support of her husband, TV writer Vali Chandrasekaran (Modern Family, 30 Rock).
July 19th at 12:25 a.m. PST Raman and Bureau of Street Services comments added.
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