Fight For Your Rights!

Filed under: MTV

~~Dozens~~ Hundreds of MTV/Viacom workers walked out of their jobs on Monday and protested outside the media conglomerate's headquarters in New York.

The employees are demanding fair treatment for all freelancers.

Dozens and dozens of MTV employees have worked there for years, yet these "permalancers" are not being taken care of.

Health care is a necessity!

Stay strong!

Posted: Dec 11, 2007 at 5:14 pm / Email this »

See All 114 Comments

114 comments to “Fight For Your Rights!”

More comments: [1] 2 »

Mindmesh says – reply to this

1

Maybe these lazy fucks should get real jobs. if they want benefits then they need to find a company that offers them. Fucking leftists scumbags too lazy to find a real job and thinks the rest of the world owes them something.
yomi says – reply to this

2

down with"M"tv!!!!
yomi says – reply to this

3

Seriously, they need to change the station's name!!! Music television my ass!!!
Narnia Von Tassel says – reply to this

4

You have bad grammar, Perez.
Marissa says – reply to this

5

Amen.
MN says – reply to this

6

first
Linn says – reply to this

7

first! and indeed….
Ginny says – reply to this

8

"There". Not "their". I'm not being mean! I love your site.
theanalyst says – reply to this

9

Amen Perez. "Stay strong" people and: Wow. Mindmesh health care is a service that should be provided everyone, especially a company as affluent as MTV productions should have health care available to all persons who work for them.
strommer says – reply to this

10

Firsty Mirsty!
gaby@ says – reply to this

11

not first!
Nic says – reply to this

12

Amen! I was a "freelancer" at MTV Santa Monica! It's crap!
ad says – reply to this

13

first
MTV Suck Anyway says – reply to this

14

I think they should A) Take MTV off the air or B) Give the channel a complete makeover because it's shitty as hell these days.
MTV Sucks Anyway says – reply to this

15

I think they should A) Take MTV off the air or B) Give the channel a complete makeover because it's shitty as hell these days.
Danielle says – reply to this

16

Finally! I'm so glad people are finally speaking out and doing something about the unfair practices MTV follows. They hire freelancers SO they don't have to pay benefits like bonuses and health insurance, and they usually hire non union so they don't have to pay IA fringe benefits and payroll taxes, including proper overtime. They deserve what's coming to them.
amanda says – reply to this

17

jesus perez. "their" instead of "there"? for serious?
e says – reply to this

18

their…. there?
Amanda says – reply to this

19

Freelancers is the noun, freelances the verb.

Let's review there/their/they're rule before posting again, mmkay.
Katie says – reply to this

20

How is this a bad thing? the writers strike and the mtv strike is probably the best thing that could ever happen to tv.
Since when has MTV been good? Yeah reality tv is fun to watch, but i am talking reallly good TV. MTV hasn't played a full video on MTV for about a decade. Maybe with all of these people gone they will start to do that again.

and with the writers strike. TV is reallly bad these days. Maybe we can get rid of all of those people and put some people in that know how to create something that hasn't been done 10 times on 10 different stations. I am personally sick of game shows and reality shows.

I hope this is the ending of a sad tv era.
JT says – reply to this

21

love your site, but learn how to spell… worked "their"? come on…
DIE FEUERWEHR says – reply to this

22

first
mizlizzle says – reply to this

23

Thanks for the support Perez! We love you!
lara says – reply to this

24

rfreger
Dude1 says – reply to this

25

Dozens and dozens of MTV employees have worked THERE for years, yet these “permalancers” are not being taken care of.

Go back to school P
Not Telling says – reply to this

26

First!

Maybe if MTV started playing videos they wouldn't need all of them. However, they don't so they need people like that to write the Hills and that other bull shit stuff. Give em health care a cheap sons of bitches
SUE says – reply to this

27

I TOTALLY SUPPORT THEM!! THEY SHOULD FIGHT FOR WHAT IS RIGHT. SHUT THE FUCK UP, MINDMESH. WHY DON`T YOU GET A JOB!! THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR WHAT IS EQUAL RIGHTS, STUPID!
Not Telling says – reply to this

28

First!

Maybe if MTV started playing videos they wouldn't need all of them. However, they don't so they need people like that to write the Hills and that other bull shit stuff. Give em health care ya cheap sons of bitches
bored wit britney says – reply to this

29

gawd get some real fucking jobs u ass holes!
ben rayray says – reply to this

30

DAMN THE MAN, SAVE THE EMPIRE
Scott says – reply to this

31

6th
john reed says – reply to this

32

mindmesh you are a nazi.
companies like viacom, which owns mtv, bet, nickelodeon and others - yeah, a shit jubilee - keep employees as freelancers indefinitely, for years, until they give up and quit. this is largely due to spineless drones who are brainwashed by the now faded cachet of working at these drivel providers.
applaud american workers who demand their RIGHTS from bloodsucking corporations: health care. job security. benefits.
then after that, revamp their racist, sexist, zionist bullshit they air on a daily basis.
PEOPLE HAVE THE POWER
mhm says – reply to this

33

Fucking leave PEREZ ALONE! ITS A LITTLE MISTAKE. NOT EVERYONE IS PERFECT GAT A LIFE. FOR REALZ..
stefystef says – reply to this

34

MTV has always been a sucky place to work…it might be cool, but they pay lousy and little to no benefits. MTV has depended on the "artist" types who don't concentrate on business bottom line, just music and culture. Looks like everyone is striking!

It's about time!
Princess Evelyn says – reply to this

35

"their" what? Grammar, please!!! Do you need an editor?
Dick Dickdale says – reply to this

36

Boo Fucking Hoo…
Sine Qua Non says – reply to this

37

BUST THE UNION!!!!

You don't like your job, then QUIT.
katiedearest says – reply to this

38

Whe you intern there they make you sign a waiver saying ANYTHING you create, wether a doodle on a napkin or ANYTHING in their studios becomes their property. (Graphic Design speaking)
their says – reply to this

39

Is perez's editor on strike too?
mtv alum says – reply to this

40

hey Mindmesh. Whens the last time you worked 16 hour days , 6 days a week for peanuts. oh wait, yes, we're "lazy" at our un real jobs. go back to your 9-5 cushy cubicle and shut up.
stevo says – reply to this

41

MTV treats their employees like shit…everyone knows that.
Laura says – reply to this

42

It is not "their", but "there".
Amanda Lauren says – reply to this

43

Its there, not their. Sorry Perez- but you have a blog read by millions, at least get that right.
xoxo
mmmmm says – reply to this

44

Yes there is a certain company (rhymes with Chopra) that only pays benefits to producers. Technical staffers have to wait at least a year (if not years) for those same benefits. it's a common problem in tv production, an industry that does not pay that well to begin with.
nagiko9 says – reply to this

45

I have to disagree with you on this one, Perez. As a freelancer of any profession, it is the individual's responsibility to get their own insurance. Sometimes the cost of that insurance is even tax deductible, something that people under permanent employee contract can't claim.
eb says – reply to this

46

THEIR instead of THERE. This just proves to me that Perez never writes in this blog, but uses 13 year old punks to do his dirty work.
Nickelodeon says – reply to this

47

Thanks for covering this Perez! I read you every friggan day and this makes me very happy…=)
maryann says – reply to this

48

Not that I support MTV in any way, but they do play FULL videos in the early morning hours! I'm just saying.
rabblerouser says – reply to this

49

thanks for posting this perez! we're staying strong! many of us have been permalancers for years and now the rug is being pulled out from under us. WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!!!! perez, how many of the people who work on your show are perma or freelancers? there are 14,000 freelance-employees all together at mtv. they can't ignore all of us!!!
Bart says – reply to this

50

Dozens and dozens? Try thousands. And without us lazy fucks there would be NO TV or movies. But I guess that would give you more time to fuck children, have sex in airport bathrooms, start wars, and whatever else you "rightists" like to do.
Nick says – reply to this

51

Boo fucking Hoo. Fuck everything associated with that bullshit. Mindmesh is right, if you want benefits get a job that offers them. YOU DON'T DESERVE SHIT.
Carol says – reply to this

52

worked 'their' what??? do you mean worked there?????
industryman says – reply to this

53

this is a common, sick, entertainment industry practice. the corporations are money hungry assholes and will do anything slimey and slippery in order to save a dollar- including denying hardworking people benefits to protect their health! fuckers
Former MTV freelancer says – reply to this

54

It's not just MTV, it's Viacom as a whole, which includes MTVN, VH1, Nickelodeon, etc… They hire people as freelancers, but it's bascially for perm jobs. They just don't want to pay sick days, vacation or benefits. So many huge companies, at least in NY, do this. Estee Lauder is even worse than MTVN.
Mogul says – reply to this

55

Re: eb –
What makes you think Perez knows how to spell?
HillzInsider says – reply to this

56

How come you aren't showing pictures of the protesters outside of the MTVN Building in Santa Monica? Oh wait that's right no one here is protesting.
Kenya says – reply to this

57

I worked for MTV for a while and left - they are horrible employers. They treat their employees like the shit on their shoe b/c they know they can replace them so quick with some douchbag that wants to say they work at MTV - Those freelancers work HARD and, Mindmesh, you have no CLUE what your talking about. They do have REAL JOBS with a REAL COMPANY which is why they are protested b/c they are being treated unfairly, asswipe.
calgal_27 says – reply to this

58

They have an uphill battle. The parent company for MTV is as stingy as they come. I used to work for them. They are practically against paying their employees at all! Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Dust off those resumes in the meantime. That fucking company is evil to the core.
Darnell says – reply to this

59

Corporations just don't give a fuck
JC says – reply to this

60

I know people who have been there for years with no benefits and just strung along. It's everywhere.
Meg says – reply to this

61

perez, this "mindmes" person does not have any idea what they are talking about. freelancers are a very important part of MTV. just because they are freelancers does not mean that they do not have real jobs. thank you for supporting them. they deserve the same treatment as everyone else.
Paw says – reply to this

62

Get a clue, people. Most of these so called permalancers are 22 year old very recent colleg grads, all of whom want to be models. Their cheapo desk chairs won't even have a chance to get cold before a new group of aspiring reality stars will rush in to take their places. for whatever reason, these jobs are coveted - MTV couldn't keep them in permalancer status if they weren't.
Lauren says – reply to this

63

i'll go join them. i hate mtv.
I'm With You Guys. says – reply to this

64

Take Care of them or lose them. Freelancers have no job security or few regular benefits, and it's a crappy way for famililes or anyone to live.
cambel says – reply to this

65

MTV still exists????
ARN says – reply to this

66

I worked at mtv networks for over 5 years as a permalancer and everyone there works extremely hard and long hours. mtv networks keep coming up with excuses not to bring on the permalancers as staff with the extra benefits like bonuses. Viacom/mtv networks has allot more money then they claim they do and they treat their employees like crap, and I am so glad I left. Its not just recent college grads who are permalancers, its mainly hard working employees who have been in their profession of choice for many years and at the top of their game. Viacom should be ashamed of themselves…
Confucius says – reply to this

67

You have to consider how this freelancing started; people who wanted to be their own business for their own tax deductions, produce their own stuff and sell it to the highest bidder, and move on without being beholden to any higher ups/permanen employers who might squelch their 'creativity' for peanuts per week. It was a double-headed beast, and greed was a motivational factor for freelancers at the beginning who were tired of being told how and what to create. Now there are too many of them, and not enough work or benefits to go around, and many are suffering. The pendulum is swinging back due to emerging and abject need. A balance will try to find itself.
Melt says – reply to this

68

THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT PEREZ! It means a lot to us! XOXO!
nah mean says – reply to this

69

Mindmesh needs to learn a little somethin' about the business. MTV doesn't respect people who work for them. The problem is that not many of these jobs (editing, graphics, etc.) are offered in NYC. This isn't LA. Everybody who has done any job for MTV knows that they will rape you however there may not be other options at times (especailly during a writer's strike). It's not a political issue moron. Plenty of rightwing people work in the entertainment industry. Get a clue douchbag. Also what is some rightwing fuckface doing on a website about celebrity gossip run by a homosexual? Get out the closet!
Barry says – reply to this

70

Who the fuck cares. MORE BRITNEY
Ex MTVer says – reply to this

71

Having worked as both a staffer and freelancer at MTVN for years it always amazed me how they got away classifying the bulk of their work force as "freelance" when they are so clearly staffers. A union will never get a foot in the door at the Viacom death star, but a class action labor lawsuit and IRS investigation are sure to follow. Look what happened to Microsoft in Vizcaino v. Microsoft.
Dave says – reply to this

72

Permalance shouldn't exist…either you freelance from time to time or your staff…wtf.
Dave says – reply to this

73

Kanye West should be supporting them. MTV screwed him too!
Healthcare? Hell no! says – reply to this

74

Must suck to live in a country where you have to rely on your employer to provide healthcare.
your mom says – reply to this

75

dear mindmesh,
hmm well i don't know what you consider hard work but i've worked at mtv for years and have not ever really had less than a 10 hour work day usually more like 14 sometimes even longer. so i don;t knwo what world you live in but i consider what we do pretty hard work and BTW we don't think the world owes us anything just our employer. so next time you think to yourself " man i can't wait to cash my unemployment check my trailer could really use an upgrade" sit right back down on that old smelly couch and get a nice big helping of what our lazy asses do all da because not in a million years could you do what we do or work as hard as we work.

sincerely,
a hard working mtv employee
Over ignorant posts on this says – reply to this

76

Re: nagiko9 –
ACTUALLY, most Freelancers working for MTV are basically staff. There are people who have been here for more than 5 years who are still not "staff" and considered freelancers. Thats bullshit and completely unfair. And… its freaking MTV/Viacom… suck it up and provide the ppl working hard for you health insurance!
Ben says – reply to this

77

My friends work for viacom. They are reallllllly screwing these people over. Wish everyone would shut off their networks till they make a fair contract. The way they are setting it up, they aren't getting benefits NOR will they be eligible for benefits through the freelancers union. First the videos went…Guess MTV finally finished going corporate.
anniemal says – reply to this

78

health care is a luxury, not a right.
cutalusha says – reply to this

79

I'm a "permalancer" and my office is near MTV's. NYC is super competitive and I haven't had much luck finding a perm job with benefits. I'm not "lazy"!

P.s. Perez, your grammar is fine. "There" is used to refer to a place, destination, a physical presence, etc. "Their" indicates possession. Therefore, "their" jobs is correct because the jobs belong to them, and you say "there" to describe the Viacom building (a physical presence). xoxo, stay strong!
anniemal says – reply to this

80

this is how capitalism works- you don't like how the business treats you, don't work there! if no one accepts the job without benefits, then they have to give benefits!
stop whining about how it's an awful company.
health care is not a right, it's a luxury. look at the course of human history.
you can get health care working part-time at blockbuster. and guess who owns blockbuster? viacom. so shut up and stop being a freelancer.
Amber says – reply to this

81

Re: your mom – " next time you think to yourself ” man i can’t wait to cash my unemployment check my trailer could really use an upgrade” sit right back down on that old smelly couch and get a nice big helping of what our lazy asses do all da because not in a million years could you do what we do or work as hard as we work." You are one dumb cunt. You pulled out the old trailer trash diss. How original….How fucking LAME! If your work ethic is as good as your sense of humor then I'm sure you deserve……NOTHING. I might visit your protest Thursday after my dentist appointment. Yeah I know I get medical and dental. Oh and profit sharing. I also never put in more than 10 hrs a day…ever. you are so fucking weak. I love it
permalancer says – reply to this

82

fuck you mindmesh. real jobs??? im sorry u dont consider sitting at my desk for 12 hours straight a real job. u want to watch TV? u want to watch the news? u want Perez to have something to report on? most of us "freelancers" make SHIT and aren't freelance at all. we HAVE to go to work just like the rest of corporate america, and yet starbucks employees have better benefits than us. go fuck urself and dont open ur mouth until u know what ur talking about.
Craptv says – reply to this

83

When I was in my early 20s I used to temp at MTV. Though the pay was reasonable I decided I wanted to do more with my life. Eventually I quit and got a job that paid more and had better benefits. No one is forcing the freelancers to work at MTV. If you don't like it….. quit. There will be a line for your job before the door hits you on the ass on the way out. I am currently an employed union member. Right on Mindmesh!
devil ducki says – reply to this

84

..isn't What Perez Sez on VH1, also under the Viacom network? What are YOU doing about it, Perez?
nagiko9 says – reply to this

85

But as far as Human Resources and the laws involved with it, they are not staff, and the company is in no way obligated to pay for insurance. Yes, I do think that MTV/Viacom is really hurting these people, but the appropriate move to make things right would be hire the permalancers as staff, thus forcing the company to provide insurance - not to provide freelancers with insurance. Perhaps I did not make my opinion as clear as I should have. My apologies.
CoCo says – reply to this

86

Re: permalancer – #84 - permalancer how dare you insult Starbucks employees. They provide a useful service that I enjoy. Sorry Cunny but I can live without NEXT or MY SWEET SIXTEEN. If you really work 12 hrs a day get a fucking life. I might send you some money so you can fix your teeth. I figure with no benefits your teeth must look like raisins. Now you GO FUCK YOURSELF!
BARBARA says – reply to this

87

Mindmesh, being a permalancer is a REAL JOB. 10-7PM, sometimes 9, or 10 or 11 or 3AM once big shows come around (VMAs, etc). LEFTISTS? No, we are people who work extremely hard and long hours for a network who is making 'cuts' and therefore taking our wel–deserved benefits, healthcare, 401K away. We have familes! We have children on these plans! It's surprising that you would side with a multi-billion dollar corporation over a hard working producer who is just trying to get what he deserves. Go fuck yourself.
your mom says – reply to this

88

Re: Amber – amber…i love my job i wouldn't give it up for anything in the world. sorry to say but everyone deserves health insurance and i dont begrudge you the dental insurance you have i'm sure people who live in trailers need as much work done on their teeth as they can possibly get. so as i drive home tonight in my lexus and sit in front of my 50" plasma tv in the home that i have purchased i will be thinking of you and thanking god you have dental insurance because if you didnt then the poor people of whatever god forsaken city you live in would have to deal with your stank ass mouth. BTW the word C**nt is the most disgusting word in the english language so you just re-affirmed my point that i do believe you are trailer trash at it's finest
Marie says – reply to this

89

GOOD! I'm glad they walked out!!! MTV freelancers bust their ass' and don't get proper compensation and now benefits are being taken away - GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!! MTV needs to get it together, treat their employees better!
anniemal says – reply to this

90

isn't it funny how health care is the new "hot topic"?
i'm sure it will disappear in a few months the way gay marriage and global warming used to be the buzzwords and now we have moved on to the new cause of the month.
Amber says – reply to this

91

Re: your mom – #84 - permalancere
So let me get this right, you have plenty of money to buy material items(now I see why you like MTV so much, you are shallow) but not health care. Ahh OK. Cunt is a great word , it describes you to a T. Entitlement to me is a bad word. You feel everyone deserves health care, well you ignorant CUNT, your wrong. I have a feeling your a fat ass that is having problems getting your own insurance. It must suck being so ugly. I'm glad you got a nice car and big tv, but maybe you should try walking. Your rates will go down when you get under 250 lbs. Now YOU go fuck your self CUNT.
MissBrooks says – reply to this

92

Why don't they got get a job that gives them benefits? Dumbasses. They don't have to do that job. That logic is stupid. If they are so smart then they don't have to work as temps. Permatemp is bullshit because they are temps. Period. Not permanent employees. Permatemp is a word for people who can't get hired for real.
shut up and stop being a freelancer then says – reply to this

93

Re: anniemal – AMEN!
Gwen says – reply to this

94

MTV is useless anyway.
why haven't my last 2 posts made it? says – reply to this

95

why haven't my last 2 posts made it on to the site?
Duke says – reply to this

96

#97 - why haven't my last 2 posts made it? says – reply to this
why haven’t my last 2 posts made it on to the site?

Because you an idiot. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
America Sucks says – reply to this

97

Re: anniemal – People like you are why the U.S. sucks and the rest of the world thinks you're all idiots.
N/A says – reply to this

98

Re: Mindmesh – Mindmesh is a retard. I worked for VH1 for years. I worked my ass off, 14 hour days, 6 days a week! I was "permalance" which meant I had no benefits, no job security, no respect. I thought if I worked hard I would be rewarded. NOPE. All the viacom networks should be ashamed. They screw young, smart, hardworking people. TV guide, E! Entertainment are the same way and hopefully now they are all going to get their payback for years of screwing people.
Julie says – reply to this

99

You permalancers who work long hours also get PAID BY THE HOUR. So shut up. I am a graphic designer on salary and I work hard long hours which I don't get paid for, but I do get benefits. It's a tradeoff.

If you don't like working at MTV, find a job you will like.
Megan says – reply to this

100

Did these workers get into their jobs knowing that the position in which they worked did not offer health care benefits?! If they are TEMPORARY workers, then it makes perfect sense why they don't get health care benefits.

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