In light of the ongoing strike involving thousands of its members, the Writers Guild of America West (WGA West) has embarked on an effort to organize the staff at MTV’s popular long-standing comedy show, Ridiculousness, dedicated to viral internet videos.
On July 12, 11 full-time staff members, referred to as “creative consultants” (though specific job titles were not provided, the WGA West stated that many held roles associated with that description), from the show hosted by Rob Dyrdek, filed a petition for a National Labor Relations Board election. Their goal is to join the Writers’ Union’s western branch. Initially, these employees sought voluntary recognition from management after signing union cards.
The WGA West has voiced its support for the staff members’ efforts, citing their pursuit of “parity with their peers in the industry and respect for their work.” The union deems Ridiculousness comparable to other covered projects, such as America’s Funniest Home Videos and Tosh.0, with its creative consultants regarded as comedy-variety writers.
Despite attempts to reach out to lawyers representing Purple Shark, LLC, a subsidiary of Dyrdek and Shane Nickerson’s Superjacket Productions, there has yet to be a response as of press time.
As per a spokesperson from the WGA, the staff members seeking unionization are responsible for generating segment concepts, writing conversation starters, and crafting monologues. Regarding the possible integration of the creative consultants into the existing minimum basic agreement or a separate pact, the guild stated that “there are existing MBA terms for shows of this sort, but the Guild will bargain with the employer for an appropriate deal.”
This unionization drive coincides with the ongoing 80-day strike involving around 11,500 film and television writers who are WGA East and WGA West members, targeting major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms. Additionally, the strike led by SAG-AFTRA, which began on July 14, has suspended production on virtually all scripted U.S. film and television projects involving union workers. Currently classified as a non-WGA production, Ridiculousness’ creative consultants are still operating.
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