Writers on the PBS exhibits “Frontline,” “NOVA” and “American Expertise” have voted to authorize a strike if a brand new contract will not be reached by midnight on Thursday.
The Writers Guild of America has been bargaining since late September with three PBS stations — WGBH in Boston, 13 in New York and PBS SoCal in Los Angeles. The union is in search of improved phrases, akin to “cheap” residuals for streaming, for 94 writers within the bargaining unit.
If a deal will not be reached, the union may name a strike as quickly as Friday. A strike would halt writing work on quite a few PBS exhibits, which additionally embrace Ken Burns Specials, “American Masters” and the PBS Youngsters sequence “Donkey Hodie” and “Odd Squad.”
The union is in search of to increase its jurisdiction to cowl PBS animated sequence, akin to “Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood,” “Molly of Denali” and “Pinkalicious & Peterrific.” Writers on these exhibits have pledged to not cross a picket line if a strike is named.
“Writers Guild members at PBS would a lot somewhat finish the week with a good and equitable contract than with a strike,” mentioned Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, the president of WGA East, in an announcement. “However they’re additionally prepared to do what is critical to achieve an settlement that displays their working situations and meets their very cheap calls for.”
Representatives from the three PBS affiliate stations declined to touch upon Monday.
The WGA additionally obtained a strike authorization vote in April on behalf of 35 writers on “Sesame Avenue.” A five-year contract was reached three days later. That contract obtained union protection for writing on animated segments on the present, in addition to an improved streaming residual.
Writers on these exhibits weren’t affected by the five-month strike final 12 months in opposition to the main movie and TV studios, as they’re coated by totally different contracts.
