Teamsters join team

Union moves to bolster 'Model' scribes

By DAVE MCNARY

The Teamsters will strike the CW's "America's Next Top Model," seeking union recognition for the drivers, location managers, casting directors and others working on the reality series.

Move comes nearly four months after a dozen "Model" writers struck the show in an unsuccessful attempt to obtain coverage under the Writers Guild of America.

Teamsters Local 399 organizer Steve Dayan told Daily Variety on Wednesday that the CW and the show's producers have refused to respond to recent requests to discuss unionization. He said the strike against the show would start soon, but he would not disclose specific strategies.

"We may start tomorrow or we may start in two weeks, but they'll definitely know we're on strike against them," Dayan added. "We have to be aggressive toward this segment of the business."

The CW said it would have no comment about the Teamsters.

The Teamsters were able to obtain the first union contract last year for about 500 Hollywood and New York casting directors following an organizing campaign that lasted three years. The casting directors had been one of the few significant groups of Hollywood workers that were not unionized.

Local 399 also represents 4,000 studio drivers, location managers, location scouts and animal wranglers.