REALITY SHOW EMPLOYEES SETTLE CLASS ACTION SUIT
Staffers on reality shows like "The Bachelor," "Trading Spouses," and "The Real Gilligan's Island" filed two separate class actions in 2005 alleging unlawful working conditions. These cases recently settled for more than $4 million.
For years, reality show staffers, including story editors and segment producers, have complained that production companies overwork them to keep costs low and that they are the people who create the plot and narrative of the shows. The suits alleged that Fox, ABC, CBS and various production entities told them to forge time cards and work 18-hour days with few meal breaks.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) initially helped to organize those who filed the lawsuit as part of its campaign to get reality story editors recognized as wirters, an effort that has not succeeded despite being a major issue last year during the WGA strike.
If a judge approves the settlement, about 400 class plaintiffs will split the settlement purse based on how many hours they worked, with about 20 named plaintiffs receiving an additional $8,250 each.
While the television studios and production companies view the lawsuit as "an example of a union using the wage-and-hours laws to impose costs on employers in order to gain organizational objectives," I think this settlement will encourage employers to follow the law and to treat workers properly...and that is a good thing for everyone.
