Filming on CoComelon: The Melon Patch slammed to a stop in Sun Valley on Wednesday when 22 crew members walked off the job, pushing to unionize with IATSE. The strike began May 6, only halfway through a planned 16-day shoot for the live-action YouTube spin-off. While pickets lined up outside the soundstage, workers said the production has been running lean on staff and heavy on workload.
Walkout at Sun Valley Soundstage
IATSE said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times that the crew moved to organize for fair wages and industry-standard benefits after they began work on the second season, and that management refused to come to the bargaining table. The union told the paper the crew members were being “overworked” and that the production was understaffed. According to the report, pickets formed outside Stage This studio in Sun Valley, while Moonbug Entertainment declined to comment.
IATSE Says Producers Have Sought Replacements
On Instagram, the union declared that “IATSE is ON STRIKE against ‘CoComelon: The Melon Patch,’” and said producers have tried to bring in replacement crew, as reported by TheWrap. The outlet notes the walkout started seven days into the scheduled 16-day shoot and that the union has urged supporters not to cross the picket line. Production representatives, TheWrap adds, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Workers Say Pay, Staffing Dipped For Season Two
Art director Chris Roberts told the Los Angeles Times he was offered a lower rate for season two and that he is now juggling a heavier workload with fewer staff, a shift he said has made it harder to support his family. Roberts, an IATSE member since 2016, described the changes as “disheartening.” The Times also notes that several earlier CoComelon productions operated under IATSE contracts, making the non-union status of this shoot stand out.
Production And Industry Stakes
TheWrap points out that the broader CoComelon franchise is gearing up for a feature film slated for early 2027, raising the stakes for how this standoff plays out. Union leaders warn that allowing lower-paid, non-union shoots to proceed could set a template for future preschool and family programming across the region. For now, the Sun Valley production is on ice, pickets are still planted at the gate, and the union is holding firm on its call for industry-standard wages and benefits.
What Comes Next
The picket line remains in place and the dispute is unresolved, leaving season two of The Melon Patch stuck in limbo while workers press for a contract. Crew members and union representatives say they plan to stay out until management returns to negotiations, and the eventual deal will help define how children’s content shoots are run in Los Angeles going forward.
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