Sesame Street writers voted unanimously in favor of strike action if an agreement was not reached after two months of negotiations over wages and union coverage.
A group of writers from Sesame Workshop, producer of the hit children’s television show, began negotiating on February 13, before their contract expired on April 19.
Pickets will begin outside offices in New York next week if a “fair new collective agreement” is not reached in time, they said.
Sesame Workshop said it expects a deal to be reached before then, according to US media reports.
The writers — members of the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) — are requesting industry-standard annual raises, improvements in residuals (payments when work is reused), and union coverage for animation and social media segments.
Sesame Workshop is a global nonprofit organization that produces Sesame Street, along with other children’s TV shows such as Helpsters and The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo.
If that happens, the writers’ walkout would follow months-long strikes by the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and U.S. actors union SAG-AFTRA. that brought Hollywood to a standstill in 2023.
‘Millions of parents will have questions’
WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said, “No one wants to see a picket on Sesame Street.
“Millions of parents and families around the world will have many questions.”
At the beginning of this year, Fan-favorite character Elmo delivered a message to fans after being inundated by people saying they were struggling with their lives – with even US President Joe Biden chiming in. During the pandemic, the show stream a special to help kids “feel connected in this time of uncertainty”.
The WGA Sesame Workshop negotiating committee said its writers are “deeply committed to the work we do” and “work hard to tell stories…inspired by heart, curiosity, community, kindness, diversity, equity and inclusion.”
In a statement, it added: “We are committed to working with Sesame Workshop to codify a fair contract for writers that embodies these values and that allows the Workshop to continue to attract top-notch talent who can create stories that successfully balance entertainment. , playfulness and joy with education and enrichment.
“Our demands would be extremely significant for the affected writers, especially those in animation who are currently excluded from basic union benefits and protections like pensions and healthcare.”
The committee said it hopes for a “quick and amicable resolution” to continue helping the next generation “become smarter, stronger and kinder.”
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Sky News has contacted Sesame Workshop for comment.
In a statement given to The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline in the US, a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop said: “Our writers are integral members of our creative team and we are engaged in good faith negotiations with the WGA. We remain hopeful that we will reach to an agreement before maturity.”
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