If a deal isn't reached by Friday, Sesame Street workers may take to the streets soon.
Picket lines look inevitable as writers at the Sesame Workshop voted unanimously to authorize a strike. Deadline reports that the Writers Guild of America announced the news.
This 35-member bargaining unit participated 100% in the strike authorization. The current contract expires Friday, so hopefully, some deals will be sorted out by then.
February 13 was when negotiations for the Sesame Workshop's new contract began. Specific details aren't known, but some areas call for annual raises, improved residuals, union coverage for the animation department at Sesame Workshop, and segments in social media.
The WGA Sesame Workshop Negotiating Committee said in a statement: “The writers that Sesame Workshop hires are deeply committed to the work that we do. Like the Workshop itself, we are mission-driven and child-focused, and we work hard at telling stories that contribute to the Workshop's curricula inspired by heart, curiosity, community, kindness, diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
“We are committed to working with Sesame Workshop to codify a fair contract for writers that embodies these values, and which allows the Workshop to continue to attract top-level talent who can artfully create stories that successfully balance entertainment, playfulness, and joy with education and enrichment, ” Variety reports Sesame Workshop negotiating committee said in a statement.
“Our demands would be extremely meaningful for the affected writers, particularly those in animation who are currently being excluded from basic union benefits and protection like pension and healthcare,” it continued. “We hope for a speedy and amicable resolution to these negotions so that we can continue to do the work of helping the next generation grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
“No one wants to see a picket line on Sesame Street,” Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, WGAE President, said. “Millions of parents and families around the world are going to have a lot of questions. They might ask why the bosses at Sesame Workshop are ignoring their company's own message of kindness and fairness.”
If things go south, the picket line will begin on April 24 in NYC outside the Sesame Workshop offices.
About Sesame Workshop
According to their website, “Sesame Workshop is a global impact nonprofit organization with a mission to help children everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder.”
They add, “We are educators. Creators. Researchers. Moms. Dads. Caregivers. Friends. We are a community of 400+ people (plus some amazing partners!) who are passionate about one thing: helping children.”
You probably are familiar with characters from this powerhouse, such as Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Cookie Monster, Elmo, and many others. Sesame Street has been around since November 10, 1969, so generations have grown up with the iconic characters from Sesame Workshop.
We'll see if a deal is met. If not, we might soon see picketers on Sesame Street instead of lovable characters.
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