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Stunt Men Walk Out : 13 who re-create ‘A-Team’ on studio tour say pay not up to risk.

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Times Staff Writer

The men who re-create the antics of “The A-Team” on the Universal Studios Tour stayed off the the job Tuesday in a dispute over wages, and Universal-MCA responded by announcing it would call in the B-Team.

Ralph Baker of North Hollywood, who plays George Peppard’s character in the live stunt show, said he and the 12 other performers decided to stay home Tuesday after management denied their request for a $5-per-performance raise. Instead, management countered by offering to trim their pay from $65 a show to about $50 a show, Baker and others said.

Universal-MCA spokesman Steven W. Lew would not comment on the details of negotiations with the actor-stunt men, whose non-union contract expired at midnight Monday. He did say, however, that a new stunt team was being formed. “We are in the process of interviewing and casting a new show,” he said.

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Seeking Look-Alikes

Lew acknowledged that Universal has run ads in trade publications seeking Mr. T and George Peppard look-alikes, which the dissident performers cited as evidence that management was planning to replace them with people who would do the required stunts for less money.

“The A-Team” show, based on the popular TV series and one of five live-action shows offered on the tour, will not be performed again until the new cast has been trained, Lew said. The new team will probably be ready to roll cars and crash motorcycles in three weeks, another company staff member predicted. Until then, visitors will be offered complimentary passes to a future A-Team live-action performance.

Lew said no further negotiations with the existing team are planned. “They will be considered for the new cast,” he said.

“I pity the fool who takes my money,” said Theo Willis, 27, of Los Angeles, who plays the part of Mr. T in the tour show. Willis, who looks like the glowering, gold-chained Mr. T, only taller, said his duties include jumping across a bridge in a burning van. “The real issue is hazardous work for less pay,” Willis said. “We don’t feel we should risk our lives for a lousy $250 a week when I could go dump trash and get paid more.”

“The A-Team” show features the characters from the NBC action series in a 24-minute performance that includes the firing of 200 rounds of ammunition, the rolling-over of a car and the setting off of 35 explosions. The show is performed up to seven times a day during the summer for audiences of up to 3,000. There actually are two “A-Teams” of five stunt men each, with three backups. Most of the 13 performers do film and television stunt work besides the tour shows.

According to Baker and other team members, the show is one of the most popular attractions on the tour, which draws about 3 million people a year. But, according to tour publicist Patty Casino, “The A-Team” show is less popular than the Western stunt show, the animal show or the “Conan the Barbarian” live-action presentation.

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‘They’re Getting a Steal’

In interviews, members of the current stunt team speculated that Universal would simply replace them rather than pay them what the stunt men feel they deserve. “They’re getting a steal,” said John Alden of El Monte, who plays the character of Murdock. Members of “The A-Team” show are paid about twice what other live-action performers on the tour are, according to a staff member who asked not to be identified.

Many cast members have been injured while doing the show, according to Alden and others. “It’s like a slap in the face,” Alden said of the proposed pay cut. He noted that Universal had recently raised the price of tickets for the tour, from $12.50 to $13.50 for adults.

“We’ve all hung in there,” Alden said of the current crew. “I worked seven or eight days in a row last summer, then a day off, then three or four more days. We’re talking in the heat. I lost five to 10 pounds. It was Fatigue City.”

“It’s not worth any less than they’re paying us right now,” said Kurt Strommer of Long Beach, another Murdock character who specializes in motorcycle stunts.

Gino Gaudio of North Hollywood, who is 6 feet, 5 inches tall and describes his role in the show as “the chief bad guy,” said he and his colleagues did not want a confrontation with Universal.

“Our aim is certainly not to antagonize or embarrass the management of this company,” he said. “Our aim is to reach an equitable agreement and go back to work.”

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Baker, a member of the Screen Actors Guild as are most of the team members, agreed. “We just want to work,” he said. “These guys are professionals, and now they want to bring in weekend warriors who are just going to get hurt.”

Men of action, just like “The A-Team,” the dissident performers said they are considering picketing the Universal City tour grounds if management does not resume negotiations or make some other move.

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