Sesame Street non-profit to 'downsize significantly' with layoffs

Kevin Maimann · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 06, 2025 5:00 PM EST | Last Updated: 3 hours ago

Sesame Workshop is readying large layoffs, CEO Sherrie Rollins Westin said successful a memo to unit this week.

The non-profit down the iconic children's TV amusement Sesame Street informed unit of its program to "downsize significantly" and alteration its benefits and bonus program, soon aft much than 200 employees announced plans connected Tuesday to unionize.

The determination besides comes months aft Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the streaming service Max where Sesame Street has been disposable since 2020, announced it would not renew a organisation deal for caller episodes of the show, which is successful its 55th season. 

In the email, which circulated online Wednesday, Rollins Westin blames "economic challenges inherent to the drastically changing media landscape," arsenic good arsenic the extremity of the organisation woody and "policy changes affecting our national funding." 

A Sesame Workshop spokesperson confirmed the contented of the email to CBC News.

"These changes are indispensable to guarantee that the Workshop is poised to proceed to present connected its ngo for years to come, but that does not marque the quality interaction of these reductions immoderate little painful," the spokesperson said successful an email to CBC News.

Sesame Workshop employees, including aboriginal puerility acquisition experts, fundraisers, facilities staff, producers and paralegals, announced Tuesday they had "overwhelmingly demonstrated support" to unionize with Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU).

The national said the employees wanted to guarantee they "can enactment successful decisions that interaction them, including those related to occupation information and just pay."

WATCH | Iconic Sesame Street characters are looking for a caller home:

"Sesame Street has taught generations the value of kindness, fairness and lasting up for what's right," Phoebe Gilpin, elder manager of ceremonial learning with Sesame Workshop, said successful a connection Tuesday.

"As the dedicated unit down this beloved amusement and truthful overmuch more, we judge Sesame Workshop should embody those aforesaid values by ensuring each workers person a dependable successful the decisions that impact us. By coming together, we judge we tin physique a stronger, much supportive workplace that embodies the important lessons we thatch the world's children each day." 

Sesame Street writers and formed and crew, including puppeteers, person agelong been unionized, according to OPEIU, but this was the archetypal clip administrative workers had sought national representation.