Dozens of Sesame Workshop staff members gathered for a block party on March 4 to celebrate the launch of a new union that been months in the making. While cast and crew and writers are already part of unions, this new union would include other jobs that make Sesame Workshop run, including facilities staff, producers, and video editors.
When they arrived back at the office, they went upstairs to learn that around 100 employees, about 20 percent of the staff, were going to be laid off, a list which included some who had just been celebrating the union’s launch.
Autumn Sancho, a digital production coordinator who has been at Sesame Workshop for three years, said one of the hardest things were the many emails of colleagues saying good-bye to the work they love.
“Every person here has a piece of Sesame Street in their heart from when they grew up,” she said. “People find their way to Sesame Street and it’s really hard to think of going anywhere else.”
However, she found it necessary to advocate for her colleagues to have a better work experience, citing the recent layoffs as an example of where the union would have been helpful in determining the terms. Some contract employees received no severance.
More than 200 Sesame Workshop employees have signed authorization cards to form the new union, which would be represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU). They want to advocate for job security, fair pay, equitable opportunities, and a seat at the table where decisions are made that affect employees and their families. Many employees come on as fixed-term employees and aim to be hired on as permanent staff. But some employees end up working 5 to 10 years on contract, with different paid time off, bonuses, and even emails from the CEO as compared to permanent staff members. Autumn said a key ask is ensuring an avenue for those on contract to become staff members.
The management at Sesame Workshop has yet to recognize the union. They are asking for many titles to be removed from those eligible, which could decrease the current size by more than half. A new vote with the smaller pool of eligible union members is scheduled to take place Wednesday.
“Sesame Workshop respects its employees’ right to form a union and seek representation, and we remain committed to fostering a positive, transparent, and collaborative workplace,” said a Sesame Workshop spokesperson. “We’ve been in active and ongoing discussions with OPEIU’s representatives and have finalized details so that all eligible employees will have an opportunity to vote.”
Despite the lengthy process, Molly Hein, design director in the brand creative team who has been at Sesame Workshop for 15 years, said those involved in the union are already functioning as a community and supporting each other, even through the recent layoffs.
Molly said she benefited at Sesame Workshop because she was hired as full-time staff with supportive managers who advocated for her role to grow. But she has learned from others that people have had widely different experiences, including disparities in treatment, benefits, and compensation for various types of workers.
“It shouldn’t be the luck of the draw that determines how you are treated. That should not be determined by who your manager happens to be and how likeable you are to them,” she said. “I learned from watching Sesame Street to be an upstander when seeing people being treated unfairly, and we are working together with colleagues to make sure everyone has a good working experience.”
Both said they are driven by a love of Sesame Workshop and the Sesame Street characters and they want to see them continue. But Sesame Workshop is struggling. Its 10-year relationship with HBO as its streaming platform ended last December, and with it, significant revenue that HBO paid for the rights to the show, reported to be over $30 million per year.
The show has also fallen in ratings as compared to other top children’s programming, leading Sesame Workshop to try out new formats that focus on more animation and a focus on Elmo, Abby, Grover, and Cookie Monster, while the rest of the characters will be used less. In addition, the show has become a target of the Trump administration, being pegged as pushing a liberal agenda for its messaging that has promoted vaccines, highlighted environmental causes, showed a same-sex couple, called on viewers to stand up against racism and discrimination, and championed respect for different cultures and viewpoints, including welcoming people – and monsters – from different countries. The government pulled grants to its international programming, including Ahlan Simsim Iraq, which provided Arabic-language content and resources to children and families in the region tailored for children affected by conflict and crisis.
Autumn and Molly both said they see the union as a way to make the workshop stronger, by working together with Sesame Workshop leadership for the future of the organization.
“Once you join Sesame Workshop, you never want to leave,” said Autumn. “I can’t see myself doing anything else. That Muppet Magic is real. I love the brand. I love the work I do.” She described the social impact work, which is separate from the show Sesame Street and addresses tough topics affecting children’s lives in a way that is accessible for children and their families. Through outreach programs, videos, and other materials, they have addressed topics such as children who have parents in the military and children whose parents are incarcerated.
While ratings may matter from a consumer standpoint, the values, curriculum, and social action that Sesame Workshop brings to children’s programming are unique, along with a trusted brand and beloved characters.
“I think we are in a moment where there is a lot of fear—in our organization, in the industry, and in the country,” said Molly. “It’s a scary moment to stand up for something. But only good can come of us joining hands and standing together and supporting each other. I am taking what I am learning here at Sesame Workshop out in the wider world.”
Click here to pay your dues on the ToughPigs Discord!
by Drake Lucas and Becca Petunia
