Sesame Workshop has reached a tentative truce with its writers, who are reviewing a new five-year collective bargaining agreement. 

The proposed deal guarantees minimum rates for work on animated and new media (digital) content that Sesame produces. It also includes protections against AI, paid parental leave benefits and improvements to digital residuals. 

Sesame’s writers who are members of Writers Guild of America East and West were prepared to strike and start picketing outside the nonprofit company’s New York offices this week if an agreement wasn’t signed by April 19. It was down to the wire, but a tentative agreement was reached that day, just before the current contract expired.  

Both Sesame Workshop and the unions shared their positive thoughts about this step forward. 

“We value our writers and their significant contributions to the creative process, which are integral to our ability to deliver on our nonprofit mission,” says a Sesame Workshop spokesperson. “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.”

“We are so proud to work for an organization that values its writers, and we believe this new contract will positively impact writers throughout the children’s media landscape,” said the WGA Sesame Workshop Negotiating Committee in a statement. “S” truly is for Solidarity. We are glad to have a contract in place that allows Sesame to do what it does best—lead.”