© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

'S' is for solidarity, not strike. 'Sesame Street' writers reach a deal

In this 2008 file photo, Big Bird reads to Connor Scott and Tiffany Jiao during a taping of <em>Sesame Street</em> in New York.
Mark Lennihan
/
AP
In this 2008 file photo, Big Bird reads to Connor Scott and Tiffany Jiao during a taping of Sesame Street in New York.

Updated April 19, 2024 at 8:43 PM ET

Writers for Sesame Street and their management reached a tentative three-year agreement late Friday, just ahead of a looming deadline for a union-authorized strike.

The deal offers writers minimums for animation and new media programs, paid parental leave, protections against artificial intelligence and new media residuals.

" 'S' truly is for Solidarity," the Writers Guild of America Sesame Workshop Negotiating Committee said in a statement. "We are glad to have a contract in place that allows Sesame to do what it does best – lead."

Thirty-five WGA union members had unanimously authorized a strike earlier this week if a deal wasn't made by Friday. They will vote on the new agreement in the coming days.

"This agreement is a testament to our dedication to our creative talent, and we appreciate the WGA's collaboration in working with us to establish this new industry benchmark," said a spokesperson for Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit that produces the mainstay children's program.

The union and Sesame Workshop began negotiating a new contract for the writers in February.

The threatened strike would have started Wednesday, outside of Sesame Workshop's offices in New York City.

"Sesame Workshop writers won a new agreement that recognizes the value of the incredible work they do to educate and enlighten children around the world," WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement.

The 54th season of the show began in November and contains 35 weekly episodes.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Ayana Archie
[Copyright 2024 NPR]
Rachel Treisman (she/her) is a writer and editor for the Morning Edition live blog, which she helped launch in early 2021.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

Related Content