The National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint Wednesday asserting that contestants on Netflix’s “Love Is Blind” reality dating show should be considered employees.
NLRB general counsel issued the complaint from the regulator’s regional office in Minnesota, arguing that the show’s stars should be entitled to the same protection as other entertainment employees.
Additionally, the complaint alleges that Delirium TV and Kinetic Content, the production companies behind Netflix’s show, repeatedly violated labor laws, including barring contestants from collective bargaining by classifying them as “nonemployee participants.”
Administrative judges will hear the complaint in late April.
Only official employees of a business are protected under federal labor law, giving them the right to organize and collectively bargain for better wages or improved conditions. This means contractors and nonemployee participants would be exempt from protection under the National Labor Relations Act.
Some “Love Is Blind” participants have accused Netflix and the production companies of violating labor law. Nick Thompson, a contestant on the previous season of the show, accused the reality TV industry of escaping labor regulations last year.
Additionally, former contestant Renee Poche sued Netflix and Delirium TV this year, accusing the companies of intentionally inflicting emotional damage to improve the show.
The move to reclassify reality TV participants is similar to the ongoing debate in the rideshare world. For years, labor advocates and drivers for Uber and Lyft have argued that they should be reclassified as official employees and given labor rights. While the movement to reclassify rideshare employees has been unsuccessful, such drivers in Massachusetts recently secured the right to unionize after passing a ballot measure last month.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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