Her only airtime was an audition and maybe a couple of mentions on the Hollywood Week episode. At least pick someone who the public had a chance to vote on.

What’s Jim Verraros doing these days? Or A.J. Gil for that matter? Heck, I bet you can get Nikki McKibbin on that bus for a bottle of Wild Turkey and a carton of Chesterfields.

I’m not saying I would stay at the job either, but the fact that Fremantle is allowed to do this at all, while at the same time playing up how generous they are with their crazy-hyped “Idol Gives Back” charities, is just plain despicable in my book.

Trust me, there’s a special place in Hell for those cheap bastards…

People write their own price tags. If they choose to work all those overtime hours to end up making a paltry $4 an hour, then so be it. If not, quit and find work elsewhere.

You can’t voluntarily climb onto a pile of manure every day, and then complain that it stinks.

One person I met at the rally told me about of a former Fremantle co-worker who filed a “meal penalty” form after missing his break for several days in a row. Within days, he was fired. It’s kind of insane…I mean, who doesn’t get a break to eat?!

Hopefully the labor board cases pending against Fremantle and others will put some serious governmental pressure on these companies to change their ways. And if not, well, we’ll just keep popping up at every audition city along the way until they do!

Aaron e-mailed me yesterday and told me the event was a rousing success, so, rock on! Looking forward to checking out your video version of the event as well! Go, union!!

Cool blog and even cooler post. You are right on — the whole “Idol Gives Back” thing burns my britches but good! Simon tours a mobile health van in a poor neighborhood, while Idol employees are working themselves literally half to death without a shred of health insurance in sight! For shame!

BTW, the Truth Tour kickoff went great, and we would’ve loved to have had you on the bus. But thanks for the post and for coming to the press conference. Oh, and for friends and supporters who want to help the cause, please see http://www.truthaboutfremantle.com, where you can see a video I put together on the whole deal, plus links to send letters of protest to Fremantle big wigs. And tell your friends! Thanks! Toni

Sorry we missed you at the press conference though, nothing would have shown Fremantle how serious we are like one flash of your hard-core biker boots! Grrrr!

I have never seen American Idol. THERE! I said it!

I was going to come out, but a) I had to work and b) I received a letter telling me that I’m no longer a full Guild member, have no voting rights, blah blah blah. So not exactly feeling the solidarity wave considering I rushed around like a maniac for the strike. : /