NBC’s "The Biggest Loser" has shut down production as the show’s crew staged a walkout in an effort to unionize, reports Deadline.com.
Representatives from IATSE, the union that represents most TV and film crew members, showed up on the set Monday night, Nov. 8, 2010, and helped lead the crew off the set, the story says.
The show also didn’t shoot on Tuesday, as IATSE representatives and producer Reveille, which makes the show with 3 Ball Prods, are in discussions about an agreement, the story says.
It is with great dismay that we read that Biggest Loser management has decided to shut out one professional trade union from their production. Knowing what a HUGE money-maker this show is for NBC, to find that their management is allowed to simply shut out workers because they want to unionize for basic benefits is unbelievable!
Because BL has chosen to go on record as being a NON-UNION WORK SITE, everyone except a select few work without any benefits. This is, once again, big business acting to step on the necks of the workers who make these money-making shows work. These workers do not appear to be asking for anything more than professional recognition, sick days, vacation days, etc. What is being reported is that they are not complaining about wages or working conditions.
Please encourage the management of Biggest Loser to get it together, make a union pact with their workers, and get everyone back to work. This is a great show and a valuable one—but we won’t be watching any more if workers are fired because they wish to unionize.
And where are Bob, Jillian, and Allison standing on all of this? If they turn their backs on their crew, I will have lost all respect for them.