Striking Teamsters Accused by Studio of Making Death Threats

Death threats, bomb scares and sabotaged equipment linked to the Hollywood Teamsters strike forced the television studio that produces “Hunter” and “Sonny Spoon” to halt production Tuesday, officials said.

Cannell Studios said it stopped work on the two NBC series because its employees received death threats and its equipment was sabotaged Monday, the first day of a strike by 3,200 Teamster drivers, laborers and electricians.

Suspicion of Battery

In a separate incident, one picket was arrested on suspicion of battery Tuesday morning at Universal Studios, according to Lt. Ron Young of the Los Angeles Police Department. The picket was released on $250 bail.

A spokeswoman for Cannell Studios said the programs were closed after tires were slashed or deflated on nine vehicles, a brake line was severed on a semi-trailer, holding tanks were punctured on a mobile dressing room, a trailer hitch was sabotaged and at least three employees were physically assaulted.

Cannell employees were also the subjects of death threats and the company’s Los Angeles office received a bomb scare, spokeswoman Lisa Lewinson said. The office building, containing several hundred employees, was evacuated for more than two hours Monday.

Lewinson said in a statement that the company is “outraged by the acts of violence, vandalism and threats to our employees and property.” The studio plans to resume production “as soon as possible with or without an end to the strike,” according to the statement.

A Teamster official denied that union members had done anything illegal.

“All of the members were advised that they were to conduct themselves in a lawful manner,” said Ed Prelock, director of legal and contract affairs.

“We’re going to do everything that’s lawfully permissible and nothing more. . . . Sure, there’s liable to be emotions. Hopefully, the reactions are simply that and nothing more. We are not personally aware of any physical violence,” he added.

Teamster pickets were stationed Tuesday at nearly every Hollywood studio.

The Teamster drivers, who transport actors, equipment and props for television and movie producers, picketed Monday at the Cannell offices, at the outdoor productions of “Sonny Spoon” at an undisclosed location and “Hunter” at Santa Monica Pier.

At the “Hunter” filming, some Teamster picketers blew air horns and banged on a trash container during scenes. The start of the “Hunter” filming was delayed by more than an hour, and the production closed earlier than scheduled Monday evening, Lewinson said.

“Hunter” stars former pro football player Fred Dryer as a quick-witted detective; “Sonny Spoon,” a new NBC adventure program, features Mario Van Peebles. Cannell Studios are named after producer-scriptwriter Stephen J. Cannell, who also created “The Rockford Files” and “The A-Team.”

There were other bomb threats related to the strike Monday and Tuesday, according to Police Sgt. Roger Jackson of the Hollywood Division. At least one other studio complained that some replacement drivers had been harassed by Teamster pickets.

In a prepared statement, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers said: “These actions will not be tolerated. (The incidents) are not only inappropriate, but perhaps illegal. . . . We expect and demand that no further incidents take place. And we call on the Teamsters to take appropriate action to ensure that their strike be conducted in a legal and nonviolent atmosphere.”

The strike began early Monday after marathon weekend negotiations collapsed. Last Thursday, the Teamsters union voted 1,441 to 196 to reject the contract proposal submitted by the producers union.

Key issues dividing the two sides include overtime rules for weekend work, salary rates, wages for out-of-town film and television production and guidelines for the making of non-union films.