Employees at the nonprofit behind Sesame Street announce unionizing with OPEIU Local 153

New York, NY—Employees at Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit behind Sesame Street, have overwhelmingly demonstrated support for representation with the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 153. The group seeks to unionize to ensure that employees can participate in decisions that impact them, including those related to job security and fair pay.

The group of more than 200 employees includes early childhood education experts, fundraisers, facilities staff, producers, paralegals, and more—representing a broad cross-section of the people who power Sesame Workshop’s impact. For more than 50 years, Sesame Workshop has been teaching generations of children, through both the iconic Sesame Street television show, as well as social impact programs around the world. Today, the organization reaches 150 million children in 150 countries with critical early learning.  

"Sesame Street has taught generations the importance of kindness, fairness, and standing up for what’s right,” said Phoebe Gilpin, Senior Director of Formal Learning. “As the dedicated staff behind this beloved show and so much more, we believe Sesame Workshop should embody those same values by ensuring all workers have a voice in the decisions that affect us. By coming together, we believe we can build a stronger, more supportive workplace that embodies the crucial lessons we teach the world’s children every day." 

The cast and crew who work on the Sesame Street set, including puppeteers, have long been union members, and Sesame Street writers are also unionized — but this is the first time that their colleagues in the administrative offices have sought representation. Sesame Workshop employees join thousands of nonprofit employees across the country represented by OPEIU’s Nonprofit Employees United (NEU).

“We believe so deeply in Sesame’s mission to help children grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. At the same time, we’ve seen how our working conditions directly impact our ability to fulfill that mission. By coming together, we believe we can build a more supportive workplace that enables us to continue the work that families around the world rely on," said Autumn Sancho, Digital Production Coordinator.

In the coming weeks, employees look forward to sitting down with Sesame Workshop management to begin negotiating a first contract.