Universal Unconvincingly Denies Cutting Back Trees To Deter Strike

Not only is Universal Pictures not paying its workers properly, but now it’s also contributing (in its own little way) to the climate crisis. In a move straight out of a cartoon villain’s playbook (perhaps the one from The Lorax, the Universal-distributed movie about the importance of environmentalism?) the studio has decided to … cut back the trees the protesting writers and actors were using for shade. Yes, really.

Comedian Chris Stephens snapped a pic of the now very sorry-looking trees on July 17 and posted it on Twitter along with the caption, “Quick shoutout to the good people at @UniversalPics for trimming the trees that gave our picket line shade right before a 90+ degree week.” There was an immediate and very, very understandable outcry.

Universal shortly thereafter released a statement via Deadline and it was every bit as disappointing as you’d expect. A studio spokesperson said:

“We understand that the safety tree trimming of the Ficus trees we did on Barham Blvd. has created unintended challenges for demonstrators, that was not our intention. In partnership with licensed arborists, we have pruned these trees annually at this time of year to ensure that the canopies are light ahead of the high wind season. We support the WGA and SAG’s right to demonstrate, and are working to provide some shade coverage. We continue to openly communicate with the labor leaders on-site to work together during this time.”

Absolutely no one is buying it. And some of the writers have⁠—to borrow a fantastic pun from Amy Berg—the treeceipts. (See, how can you be undermining your writers when they come up with witticisms on the fly like that?) Producer and writer Dan Signer went on Google Earth and grabbed a pic to prove that no, Universal has not in fact had trees pruned like that in the past, whether for “safety” or not.

And others have taken to Twitter to point out that what Universal has done here is a huge blow for the trees themselves, seeing as how they’re living things which require care. (The “licensed arborists” Universal mentions in its statement haven’t come forward.)

Now, it turns out Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia thinks Universal may have acted outright illegally here. “Our Office is investigating the tree trimming that occurred outside Universal Studios where workers, writers, and actors are exercising their right to picket,” Mejia said in a July 18 tweet. “The trimmed trees are LA City managed street trees. Code enforcement for street trees (including the pruning or removal of trees without a permit) is the responsibility of the StreetsLA Investigation and Enforcement Division. Violations can result in code enforcement citations.”

Unfortunately, we may have to wait a bit to see the outcome of the investigation. In the meantime, Twitter users have been cracking dark jokes about the sheer gall of it.

Hopefully, Universal will face some hefty fines for the damage it’s done. Either that, or the Lorax will show up to kick a few asses.

(featured image: Universal Pictures)