PHOTO! Here’s a picture of WGA strike protests at Tyler Perry Studios! Tyler Perry Studios opened with WGA strike protests and signs like “Tyler Perry House of Shame”. Tyler Perry Studios WGA protest signs this weekend said:
“Meet the Writers Tyler Perry Fired”
“Tyler Perry’s House of Shame”
“We Got no Health Care Tyler. How You Doing”.
With the WGA protests, Perry’s Barack Obama did not attend.
A WGA issued statement reportedly says the following:
“It’s very disheartening considering that this is a studio run by African Americans. What Tyler Perry is essentially saying to us is that ‘you’re black and there’s not a lot of opportunities for you so you’ll take what I give you’ – whether it’s fair or not.”
“I feel like I was slapped in the face, like we were used” said writer and WGAW member Teri Brown-Jackson. “We were good enough to create over a hundred episodes, but now when it comes to reaping the benefits of the show being syndicated and having other spin-offs from it, he decides to let us go unless we accept a horrible offer.”
The show’s head writer, Kellie Griffin, added, “A lot of people who fought for civil rights and social justice never really saw what eventually came out of their work. While I’d like to see something positive come out of this for us, if this fight helps future black writers get what they deserve, that’s a good thing.”
Another reported WGA statement reportedly says the following:
This season, scripted television programming will consist of about 150 shows employing 1,200 writers.
Of that universe, 149 shows and 1,193 writers will produce shows covered by the Writers Guild’s Minimum Basic Agreement. The MBA guarantees minimum compensation, residuals, health coverage, and pension in addition to other benefits.
The big exception? Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and the seven writers who, collectively, played a key role in producing over 100 episodes of one of television’s most successful sitcoms.
Right now, these seven writers are in a struggle with you, the producer of House of Payne, to extend Guild coverage to the show. This past Monday, after months of negotiations with the Guild, four of the writers were abruptly and illegally fired because of their efforts to secure the same minimums and benefits as their peers.
We all know that producing television is a tough and uncertain business. But some things are simply not acceptable.
We have a simple ask – reinstate the writers and make a fair deal with WGA.
No comment by Perry to the WGA strikers.
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