MTV’s selection of Philadelphia was accompanied by unbridled civic rejoicing when it was announced on Feb. 26. City leaders believed The Real World, with its huge audience of 12- to 34-year-olds, would boost the city’s cool factor and help it retain recent college graduates.
But within four days, Bunim/Murray had incurred the wrath of the city’s unions by hiring a nonunion company to renovate the former Seamen’s Church Institute in Old City, where Real World’s cast was to live.
The series had sidestepped organized labor in 13 previous cities, including union strongholds New York, Chicago, and Boston, without incident.
“Every other production company comes in, sits down and bargains,” said Tony Frasco, vice president of Teamsters Local 107, whose members drive vehicles and unload trucks. “The unions are not out to gouge anybody, but this is a union town.”
…Informed of Bunim/Murray’s pullout, Jeff Zeh, president of the Southeast Pennsylvania chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Inc., which represents nonunion contractors, said, “What else is new in Philadelphia?
“You saw the list of the cities where they’ve produced their projects, and Philadelphia is the only one where they had a problem,” he said. “It is really is a sad commentary.”
“We ask for fair wages and benefits, and [then they] make a fuss and take their ball and go home – what kind of real world do they represent?” said Gillespie, of the Building Trades Council. “We’ll be called the Neanderthals and the pug uglies because of what we’re trying to do.”
Read the rest at Philly.com. More in The Daily News.
Yup, once again yet another UNION, proves why companies won’t come to Philadelphia.
The greedy unions in this city are an absolute disgrace. I’m personally counting the days until I move out of Philadelphia for good.
Nothing good can come from this place.
The rich get rich and the poor stay poor.
MTV (Not my favorite channel) made the right decision. Why should they pay a union that will hire 5 people for a one person job. So 4 of them can stand around and watch 1 person work. Yeah, I understand Philly is a union town. Philly is a joke.
Between the racist mayor of this place and the unions, I have more than enough reason to leave. Along with all the other people who woke up and figured out this place sucks.
I’ll be waving my middle fingers to the union as they stand around doing nothing but running their mouths on my way out of this hole.
I wish I could say I’m suprised, but I just can’t. I work at a big drug company that has a very strong union presence on our plant site. Actually, I have 2 union clerks reporting to me.
It proves difficult quite often to work together because both sides often have different agendas and goals.
Look at the PA Convention Center and all the dough $ that the city has lost in recent years simply because negotiations between the unions and various conventions have fallen short. It’s a shame.
I think unions have their place; but as the economy grows, becomes more international, more inter-state oriented, and faster with technology, automation, and the like, these potholes that we call ‘union negotiations’ become more and more problematic.
Guess what……
Kiss a few bucks in city income GOODBYE.
====
‘Real World’ Won’t Film in Philadelphia
Wednesday March 17 11:08 AM ET
Real-world labor issues apparently were a bit too much for the makers of a popular MTV reality show.
A production company announced Tuesday that it had given up plans to shoot the 15th season of “The Real World” in Philadelphia. Bunim/Murray Productions did not give a reason for abandoning the plans just three weeks before taping was set to begin, but it had been squabbling with organized labor.
The production company had angered labor unions angry by hiring a nonunion company to renovate the former Seamen’s Church Institute in Old City, where it planned to have seven strangers live together and have their lives videotaped. Members of the building trades unions picketed outside the building.
Sharon Pinkenson, who heads the Greater Philadelphia Film Office, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that she had been aware that Bunim/Murray wanted to go nonunion, but said she advised the company that doing so would be troublesome in Philadelphia.
“I recommended that they speak with other producers of nonunion reality television” who had worked in Philadelphia, Pinkenson said. She did not know if Bunim/Murray followed her advice.
Labor leaders said other television and movie production companies had worked successfully with Philadelphia’s unions, citing examples like the CBS series “Hack” and “Cold Case,” and the recent M. Night Shyamalan film “The Village.”
“Every other production company comes in, sits down and bargains,” said Tony Frasco, vice president of Teamsters Local 107.
“We ask for fair wages and benefits, and (then they) make a fuss and take their ball and go home what kind of real world do they represent?” said Pat Gillespie, business manager of the Philadelphia Building Trades Council.
The company did not say Tuesday where it would film the show’s next season.