Viacom Listens to MTV Freelancers

MTV Freelancers Protesting outside MTV/Viacom building

Photo- (ugh.) Perezhilton.com

In a wonderful display of a megacorporation listening to their employee's needs and demands, Viacom has changed their original benefit cut plan which would have affected freelancers and "perma-"lancers alike.

Viacom/MTV plans to turn many long term freelance positions into staff jobs and offers freelancers a choice between their old healthcare plan and an entirely new one. Also, the deadline to decide on the plan has been extended from this later this month until February '08. Way to take a stand freelancers.

"We've implemented a process for evaluating freelance and temporary employee positions for possible conversion to staff positions," reads the announcement from JoAnne Griffith, MTVN's executive vice president for HR. "This process is currently underway." Freelancers will now have the choice to continue with their current health plan—including dental!—or sign on to MTV's Aetna plan. Either way, they won't have to make the decision until February of next year, nearly three months after the original deadline set by the company last week.