http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-picket28sep28,1,6485747.story?coll=la-headlines-businessBy Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
September 28, 2007
In a protest staged by the Writers Guild of America, West, about 150 pickets rallied outside the production studio of the new TV game show "Temptation" Thursday morning to support a walkout by most of the show's writers.
The rally, in front of the Tribune/KTLA Studio gates in Hollywood, was intended to highlight the guild's ongoing efforts to extend union pay and benefits to writers who work in reality television and game shows, an important issue in volatile contract talks between writers and producers.
Four of six writers on "Temptation" walked off the job a month ago, protesting what they said was the company's refusal to negotiate a fair contract with the guild. They also complained of enduring 14-to-18-hour days without overtime pay.
The writers have since been replaced by the show's producers, FremantleMedia North America, the company behind "American Idol" and game shows including "The Price Is Right."
"Fremantle has no excuse for refusing to bargain with us and give these writers the benefits they deserve," guild President Patric Verrone told a crowd.
"Temptation" writer Rosemarie DiSalvo said, "We were forced to work such long hours, I had to be on antibiotics for the last 10 days I worked on the show."
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