PBS Strike Averted As WGA Reaches New Deal For Writers, Including First-Ever Protections For Children’s Animation Writers

In a watershed deal that has big implications for animation writers, members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) have reached a tentative agreement with management at PBS member stations WGBH, Thirteen, and PBS SoCal on a new three-year collective bargaining agreement.

The deal comes after the 94-member bargaining unit voted to authorize a strike if PBS did not agree to a fair deal before the expiration of their contract on November 21, 2024. Additionally, the writers of 20 animated series, including PBS’s Alma’s Way, Carl the Collector, Cyberchase, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Molly of Denali, Pinkalicious & Peterrific, and Work It Out Wombats!, signed a pledge to not cross a picket line should a strike be called by the union.

While the new agreement largely covers writers working on PBS live-action shows, like Frontline, NOVA, American Experience, Donkey Hodie, and Odd Squad, writers working on PBS animated series are now expected to come under the jurisdiction of the WGA for the first time.

According to the WGA, the deal breaks new ground with “first-ever union protections for animation writers, paid parental leave, AI protections, expanded union protections for made-for-new-media programs, increased residual payments for reuse on streaming services, industry-standard raises, and easier paths for members of writing teams to access health coverage.”

The council of the Writers Guild of America East and the board of the Writers Guild of America West will now vote on sending the tentative agreement to the bargaining unit for a ratification vote.

The deal is highly significant for animation writers, marking the first time that multiple children’s animated series are set to be covered by the WGA. Up until now the WGA has mostly covered writers of adult animated series, leaving children’s writers to be covered by The Animation Guild, IATSE Local 839, which in the Hollywood union hierarchy is a weaker organization with less leverage in negotiations.

Last year’s writer’s strike became the catalyst for a movement to bring children’s animation writers into the WGA, including a pledge from WGA East leadership to focus on covering animation writers.

WGA Covered Animated Series (Past and Present)