The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is staging a demonstration outside the gates of Universal Studios today to protest the firing of the post crew on Bravo’s Shahs of Sunset.
Bravo Media, a Comcast/NBCUniversal company, and Ryan Seacrest Productions, the producers of Shahs, fired the crew of the successful reality television show on Sept. 26, after the crew walked off the job seeking a union contract. The IATSE filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Bravo and Ryan Seacrest Productions on Sept. 29. Today’s action comes on the heels of a similar, smaller protest outside of Rockefeller Center, corporate headquarters of Bravo and NBCUniversal, last Thursday.
The show’s postproduction and production employees had been on strike for just over two weeks when the production issued a statement that it would “be unable to continue working with the editors that were previously engaged on this production.”
Federal law protects employees’ right to organize, including their right to strike.
The strike has shut down postproduction and additional production on season 4 of the show, which had been scheduled to premiere on Oct. 13. Bravo has delayed the season 4 premiere indefinitely due to the work stoppage.
Today’s action takes place at South Weddington Park (10600 Valleyheart Drive, Studio City, Calif.), across the street from Universal Studios’ Gate 2. Speakers will include Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor.
