Production on Season 28 of Food Network’s “Worst Cooks in America” has shut down in Long Island City, New York, as crew members affiliated with IATSE go on strike.
In an X post on Friday, the union, which represents tens of thousands of crew members in film and television, said that Bright Road Productions “refuses to serve up fair wages and benefits!”
“For far too long, crews of unscripted TV have gone without industry-standard wages and benefits!,” the group added. “Now, they’re coming together to demand better.”
“As a result of the IATSE’s demand for recognition on behalf of the production crew and our inability to reach agreement with the union, Season 28 of Worst Cooks in America has shut down,” a spokesperson for the show’s producer Objective Media Group told TheWrap.
Representatives for Food Network and IATSE did not immediately return TheWrap’s request for comment.
The work stoppage on the series, which pits 12 to 16 contestants against each other in a culinary boot camp for a cash prize of $25,000, comes as the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA strikes have passed the 100-day and one-month marks, respectively – though their efforts have impacted scripted series.
Meanwhile, “The Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel previously called for reality stars to unionize in late July, urging fellow unscripted talent to join the unions on the picket line in solidarity and has filed a lawsuit against NBCUniversal accusing the company’s subsidiaries of imposing a “pattern and practice of grotesque and depraved mistreatment” against the talent and crews of numerous reality series.
In response, NBC said it was “committed to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace for cast and crew on our reality shows.”
“At the outset, we require our third-party production partners to have appropriate workplace policies and training in place,” a spokesperson for the network added. “If complaints are brought to our attention, we work with our production partners to ensure that timely, appropriate action is or has been taken, including investigations, medical and/or psychological support, and other remedial action that may be warranted such as personnel changes.”
In addition to Objective Media Group America, “Worst Cooks in America” is produced by All3 Media America.
