Unionized live-action PBS writers are days away from striking at three PBS member stations, and part of their demands are that their colleagues who write for PBS KIDS animated programming be covered under future labor contracts. And in solidarity, PBS Kids writers have pledged not to cross any picket lines should they go up. 

Writers Guild of America (WGA) members at PBS member stations WGBH (Boston), Thirteen (New York) and PBS SoCal (Southern California) voted yesterday to authorize a strike if management doesn’t agree to a deal they view as fair before the current contract expires. And time is running out, since the existing contract ends at 11:59 ET on November 21. 

The PBS writers’ 94-member bargaining unit voted 100% to authorize the strike.

The current contract between PBS writers—who write for live-action programs like FRONTLINE—and PBS member stations doesn’t cover animation writers, and they weren’t allowed to vote on the strike authorization. But one of the WGA’s core demands would give union protections to animation writers for the first time ever, says Jason Gordon, WGA East’s director of communications. 

Meanwhile, PBS animation writers are showing their appreciation for the union’s demands that they be included with the other PBS writers who are currently covered. Writers from animated series—including Alma’s Way (pictured), Carl the Collector, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood and Molly of Denali—signed a pledge not to cross the picket line if a strike does happen.  

In addition to first-ever union protections for animation writers, the union wants fair compensation for all writer-producers, WGA coverage for all made-for-new-media programs (content made for streamers) and reasonable residual payments for content that is licensed to streamers. 

The WGA is hopeful that the parties will agree on a new deal before Thursday’s deadline, but the union is prepared to strike if that doesn’t happen, says Gordon. 

In the event of a strike, all WGA members would be prohibited from performing struck work (anything that’s considered normal work) for PBS and its affected member stations. The union would also set up picket lines at the three PBS stations. 

And PBS animation writers aren’t the only ones standing with their PBS writing colleagues. In October, more than 1,250 wider WGA members signed a petition supporting the PBS guild members. The petition reads: “PBS writers create award-winning, educational and engaging content that is essential to PBS’s mission to inform the American public. Unfortunately, the vital role these writers play in maintaining the high standards of public television is not being reflected in management’s approach to ongoing negotiations.”