Alma's Way Courtesy of Fred Rogers Productions Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment The Writers Guild of America East is joining the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. The East Coast-based branch of the Hollywood writers' union has won voluntary recognition for union coverage of public children's animation programming from Fred Rogers Productions, the former home of the iconic PBS show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, and Spiffy Pictures. The union announced the deal on Friday. Writers on future seasons of PBS Kids titles Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood (which takes place in the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood world), Alma's Way and Carl the Collector will work under the terms of the union's existing contract with PBS. Related Stories Business Writers Guild Aims to Organize Where Work Is: YouTube, Verticals and the Creator Economy TV Park Chan-wook and 'The Sympathizer' Co-Creator Don McKellar Expelled From Writers Guild That contract, reached after the union leveraged a strike threat in 2024, included coverage of PBS Kids' animation for the first time and triggered union representation for writers on shows like Molly of Denali and Work It Out Wombats. Shows produced by outside production companies were not included at the time. Friday's deal brings Fred Rogers Productions and Spiffy Pictures' contributions to PBS Kids into the union fold. Under the terms of the WGA East's PBS contract, writers on these titles will receive pension and health contributions from their work and residuals for AVOD and SVOD reuse. The contract also enshrines protections that writers won around the use of AI during their 2023 film and television strike. "Every writer on all of our series over the years has played an integral role in each show's success, so this was a no-brainer for Spiffy," Spiffy Pictures' co-founder and executive producer Adam Rudman said in a statement. "We hope it paves the way for more companies to follow." In a joint statement, the head writers for Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and Alma's Way, Jill Cozza-Turner and Jorge Aguirre, respectively, said that Fred Rogers Productions is "carry[ing] on the legacy of Fred by being true allies in supporting working writers." The agreement comes at a tenuous time for PBS Kids, whose programming is not immune to recent government funding cuts to the public broadcaster. PBS Kids senior vice president and general manager Sara DeWitt told The Washington Post in August that the provider would continue providing its current library of shows but would need to downsize its development of new shows and seasons. "PBS Kids writers have been a bedrock in educating children around the world and we are glad they can work under a Writers Guild contract that provides them with fair pay, pension and health coverage and residuals," WGA East president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said in a statement. "All animation writers deserve union protections just like their colleagues in live action television." THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up nbcuniversal Comcast Execs Tell Staff "We Need To Do Better" After "Unacceptable" Comments From Ex-MSNBC Contributor About Charlie Kirk Representation MrBeast's Nolan Hansen Signs With CAA (Exclusive) Charlie Kirk "There Will Be Copycats": After Charlie Kirk Assassination, Threat Expert Talks Public Event Risks Graydon Carter Puck Reaches Deal to Acquire Graydon Carter's Air Mail Angel Studios Angel Studios Goes Public: Will Investors Buy Into the Entertainment Business' Faith-Friendly Outsider? Heat Vision DC Cancels 'Red Hood' Comic Book Series After Writer Shares Inflammatory Post Following Charlie Kirk Shooting nbcuniversal Comcast Execs Tell Staff "We Need To Do Better" After "Unacceptable" Comments From Ex-MSNBC Contributor About Charlie Kirk Representation MrBeast's Nolan Hansen Signs With CAA (Exclusive) Charlie Kirk "There Will Be Copycats": After Charlie Kirk Assassination, Threat Expert Talks Public Event Risks Graydon Carter Puck Reaches Deal to Acquire Graydon Carter's Air Mail Angel Studios Angel Studios Goes Public: Will Investors Buy Into the Entertainment Business' Faith-Friendly Outsider? Heat Vision DC Cancels 'Red Hood' Comic Book Series After Writer Shares Inflammatory Post Following Charlie Kirk Shooting