The IATSE and Gemini 3 Productions, Inc. have signed off on the contract that provides representation to the below the line crafts of SYFY’s hit show “Face Off.”
The IATSE crew on “Face Off” had previously sought representation from the IA, and on October 5th the IATSE declared a strike. “Face Off,” which is produced by Gemini 3 Productions, Inc., is a one-hour reality show that features a dozen contestants competing in a series of special effects make-up elimination/challenges. Negotiators from the IA and Gemini Productions worked into the following week before a deal was announced. The crew of over forty workers overwhelmingly ratified the deal.
Reality TV organizing has been a priority for the IATSE and this victory comes on the heels of last year’s strike against “The Biggest Loser” and the conclusions of negotiations with production companies Horizon Alternative and Fremantle.
Said International President Matthew Loeb, “This is a continuation of the drive that brought representation to the crew of ‘The Biggest Loser,’ and a confirmation of our commitment to these workers. Reality television crews are not second class citizens and deserve to be treated with the same respect and dignity as other workers in TV, including the right to health and pension benefits and safe working conditions.”