PHILADELPHIA (NNPA) – Days before opening his new production studio in Atlanta, Ga., writer/director/producer Tyler Perry fired four of his television writers, among them, Yeadon, Pa. native Lamont Ferrell.
Ferrell, a former Temple University student who competed on the school’s basketball team — along with fellow screenwriters Kellie Griffin, Christopher Moore and Teri Brown-Jackson — was allegedly dismissed for being involved with a Writers Guild of America (WGA) organizing effort. All were award-winning writers for Perry’s TBS sitcom “House of Payne.”
“I’m a member of the WGA,” said Ferrell, a veteran writer who has crafted screenplays for shows such as “Girlfriends,” “Moesha” and “The Parenthood,” — all WGA programs. “Tyler’s show is a non-union show, meaning we’re not a member of the Writer’s Guild. I took the job basically knowing that, but there was some discussion that they could possibly go union.
“So over the last couple of years, we were talking about that, and asking Tyler if we could go union, because he didn’t offer any health benefits, pension, dental or union wages. So we’re making less than typical writers would make on a cable sitcom.”
The company says the writers were fired for just cause, but the union said last Thursday that they were dismissed because they were involved in the organizing effort.
The WGA claims that the problems began in April when Ferrell, Griffin, Moore and Brown-Jackson were among seven writers seeking to negotiate a first WGA contract with Perry’s production company, “House of Payne.” The company produces “House of Payne” and the upcoming TBS show “Meet the Browns.” No contract has been signed.
Reportedly, Perry’s attorney, Matt Johnson, said that the four were fired because of poor work performance. Griffin, Moore, Brown-Jackson and Ferrell had worked on more than 100 episodes of Perry’s series, now syndicated on FOX. The three remaining writers were asked to stay on, and two did.
“Up to that point, we wrote 100 episodes of ‘House of Payne,’ said Ferrell, who was fired on his 3 year-old son’s birthday. “The show won three Image Awards last year — one, for the best comedy on television, and we just had a ‘table read’ in Atlanta with Tyler Perry and the actors. We got a standing ovation on the scripts we wrote, and his exact words were, ‘These are golden!’ This was just a week ago. So that was just totally ridiculous and absurd that it was because of our work.
“And logically, it doesn’t make sense. You wouldn’t hire people and let them write 100 episodes for you … TBS was so pleased with the show that they gave him another 26 episodes. So he brings us back to write the rest of the 126 episodes. We wrote 16 of them, and then all of a sudden he’s not pleased with our work? That just doesn’t make sense.”
While Johnson stated on behalf of the company, “We continue to work toward a resolution of their contract,” Ferrell accuses his former employer of actively seeking retribution.
“The day after he fired us, they called the Writer’s Guild and wanted to go union,” Ferrell disclosed. “He fired us Monday, and wanted to go union Tuesday morning. So basically, he’s just throwing it in our face(s) saying, ‘OK. You guys brought this to me — trying to make me go union. So I’m going to go union so I can avoid all the flack, but I’m going to fire you, so you won’t receive any of the benefits from it.’”
The WGA has filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the four were fired unjustly and that Perry’s company bargained in bad faith.
Information from the Hollywood Reporter contributed to this report.
