The Canadian Media Guild is sickened by the news that 10 people, cast and crew of French reality TV series Dropped, were killed in a helicopter crash yesterday in Argentina.
The union is organizing with reality TV workers to improve health and safety standards and working conditions in this country. In a 2013 survey, 54% of workers who go on location told us they have worked in unsafe conditions. That same year, Canadian director John Driftmier was killed in a plane crash in Kenya while filming Canadian series Dangerous Flights.
As one worker wrote recently, “I have come close to dying at sea, in the air and on land. But like everyone else who has ever been dependent on a pay cheque, I very rarely raised a concern.”
Later this month, the union will publish a guide book for workers in the industry that will include information on how to stay safe on the job. The union is also seeking to negotiate with production companies to improve working standards in the industry. More than 100 workers have joined the campaign so far.
For more information, contact Canadian Media Guild organizer Karen Wirsig (Karen@cmg.ca) at 416-578-1651. Find out more about the CMG campaign for fairness in factual TV at http://www.cmg.ca/en/tag/factual-tv/.