Things on the set of Teen Mom Family Reunion Season 2 just went from bad to worse.
Just days after The Ashley broke the news that a huge fight had erupted on the set of ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion,’ resulting in Briana DeJesus and Ashley Jones (and their moms) being sent home, The Ashley hears that there is even more trouble on set.
The Ashley can exclusively reveal that the crew members who are currently filming ‘TMFR’ in Oregon have gone on strike, putting down their cameras, etc. and refusing to work. From what The Ashley hears, the strikers are camera operators, audio and sound techs, etc.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ social media accounts confirmed the strike on Monday.
According to the IATSE, this is a “recognition strike,” which is defined as “a strike organized by workers against their employer, seeking to force the employer to acknowledge the union as their collective bargaining agent.”
The Ashley’s sources tell her that the execs used a different company for crew for ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion’ than they do for Teen Mom 2 or Teen Mom OG.
“They’ve used the company for [‘Family Reunion’], both seasons,” one behind-the-scenes source tells The Ashley. “We’ve heard that it’s because the network felt that the [regular company that does ‘Teen Mom’ show production’] didn’t have enough control of the set, but not sure if that’s true. So there are different producers, tech guys, etc. on this set than the cast is used to.”
(The Ashley has been told that the company used for ‘Family Reunion’ is a company that works on several other major MTV reality shows.)
The union has advised its members not to cross the picket line and accept jobs on the ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion’ set, due to the strike. This has left the show’s execs scrambling to find replacements so that the entire set isn’t forced to close down. (The cast has been there for about a week, and is due to stay another week.)
“They are frantically looking for [crew members] who are willing to fly up to Oregon immediately so they can finish the filming and don’t have to shut down,” the source tells The Ashley. ”
“They’re basically begging people to come up there,” someone else tells The Ashley. “Between the fights, some COVID issues and now the crew strike, this filming has been plagued with issues. It’s kind of a disaster!”
UPDATE! The strike has continued into Tuesday, with the former crew members creating a picket line outside of the Oregon resort where ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion’ is being filmed. The first photos of the picket line have also been released.
The strikers are carrying signs stating that they are on strike due to having “no contract” and are protesting the fact that the company Onsite Productions will not negotiate a contract with them.
A rep for the IATSE confirmed to The Ashley on Tuesday that the strikers are “looking for industry standard health and retirement benefits, that were not being paid. In order to do so, they joined together and are unionizing.”
The IATSE repo also confirmed that “so far management hasn’t come to the table to negotiate a contract with those benefits, so the workers walked off the job.”
The local IATSE posted several photos of the picket line to social media.
STRIKE ALERT: The ‘Teen Mom’ crew’s picket line in Bend, Oregon is up!
Workers are demanding recognition and health/retirement benefits!
It’s time for management to come to the table and negotiate a fair contract in good faith! @TeenMom @MTV @paramountco
?: @IATSE488 https://t.co/ifWFr1t90I pic.twitter.com/uS2gy6srfK
— IATSE // #IASolidarity (@IATSE) September 6, 2022
Although the IATSE is advising its union members not to cross the picket line and take over filming duties, The Ashley has been told that the producers began calling former crew members who have worked on ‘Teen Mom OG’ and ‘Teen Mom 2’ to come to Oregon immediately and finish the job. From what The Ashley hears, the producers have been able to put together a shoestring crew of former workers to complete the week.
A behind the scenes source tells The Ashley that the ‘Teen Mom’ gang is staying at the opposite end of the resort from where the strike is happening, so it is not likely to interrupt filming, which was due to begin again today.
The Ashley will update this story when more info is available. Stay tuned…
(Photos: MTV; Scott Olson/Getty Images; Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images; IATSE)
24 Responses
Complete and utter trash on my screen wasn’t enough to keep me from watching this show.
But, knowing that MTV dropped their longtime production staff (and fired their security workers who *weren’t* trying to become “the talent” by screwing “the talent”) now wants them
to return to work as scabs?
Oh, hell no; I will not be supporting that. Let these “teens” go get real jobs that actually require skills, and *they* can learn about why unions matter, since MTV won’t. I’m out.
The production crews all deserve raises for working behind the scenes on this train wreck franchise.
I don’t even understand why MTV tries to keep this alive. Ratings are in the toilet and have been for awhile. It’s over.
hell yeah! good for them. hope the show doesn’t manage to find a single scab.
Now THIS is something I want to keep up with.
Put a ? fork In this ? show
It’s over. Or just flush the toilet ?
??
Oh, please, please, someone call Andrew to come be part of the film crew!!!
Where is the giant Vaudeville hook that drags you off the stage because MTV obviously doesn’t understand that it’s a wrap for this Fiesta de Caca.
The way the staff had been treated esp by the moms like Kail and such were quite repulsive. Crew needs to make a paycheck but don’t deserve the crap treatment. Moment any mom treated a staff member like crap for no reason the mom should instantly be dropped. But MTV allows the harassment by these bottom feeders who after what, 12, 13 years still can’t step up to be parents and continue to portray disrespectful behavior on tv. Poor kids.
MTV read the room, time to call it a day on this shit show.
I’d go on strike too if I had to be around them every day.
They might as well just scrap the whole thing. All these issues aren’t really worth it. It’s obvious milking this franchise is a mistake. Just let it die already.
Just scrap @ start a show about how not to get pregnant
I think the network is holding on, because they’re hoping one of the original teen mom babies becomes a teen parent, who they can continue to exploit.
Hahahahahahaha. Even the universe iis sick of this show! Take the hint, MTV! PULL. THE. DAMN. PLUG!