Big Bird Remains Union
There is a new agreement with Sesame Workshop.
Earlier this year, Sesame Workshop announced a partnership with HBO bringing first-run episodes of Sesame Street exclusively to HBO for the next five years. After nine months of appearing only on HBO, shows will then air on PBS.
This new HBO deal caused some trepidation as negotiations began. For some years musicians navigated relations with the non-profit Sesame Workshop rather than a huge multinational media conglomerate.
By remaining steadfast throughout negotiations, a better contract than ever was reached. The nine-member Sesame Street band will see increases in wages, healthcare contributions and pension contributions.