WGAW in third stage of Truth Tour

Guild aims at unfair working conditions on 'Idol'

By DAVE MCNARY

The WGA West is launching the third stage of its Truth Tour campaign aimed at gaining jurisdiction over FremantleMedia by pointing to allegedly unfair working conditions on such shows as "American Idol."

The WGA and the Intl. Brotherhood of Teamsters will hold a demonstration Friday outside Jobing.com Arena in Glendale, Ariz., in conjunction with "American Idol" auditions.

The unions have already held demonstrations against Fremantle in Hollywood and San Francisco. Speakers at today's event will include Fremantle's "Temptation" writer Michael Prescott, reality/game show writer Hannah Buchdahl, former "Resurrection Blvd." writer Maria Elena Rodriguez, and former "American Idol" employee Patricia Clark.

The WGA plans to hold other "Idol" events at other audition cities and has set a Truth Tour Finale Event on Aug. 19 hosted by the WGA East outside the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J.

FremantleMedia execs have said the allegations, which include denial of overtime pay and meal breaks, are without merit. Its execs have also said the WGA's jurisdiction demand is unreasonable because it doesn't use writers on all shows – an assertion disputed by the guild.

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