More than 500 editorial, video and production workers at Condé Nast announced Tuesday they are unionizing with the NewsGuild of New York to form the Condé Nast Union.
Included in the union are workers from Condé Nast Entertainment, Vogue, Vanity Fair, GQ, Bon Appétit, Allure, Architectural Digest, Condé Nast Traveler, Epicurious, Glamour, Self, Them and Teen Vogue. Together, they are seeking voluntary recognition of their union, which has already received support from nearly 80% of eligible members.
Four of Condé Nast’s brands — The New Yorker, Ars Technica, Pitchfork and Wired — are already unionized, and each has its own separate unit. Though those units often strategize together, they are distinct entities and negotiate separate contracts. The Condé Nast Union, however, seeks to move forward as one. If recognized, it will be one of the largest units in recent NewsGuild history, according to a guild press release.
In their mission statement, the workers explain they are unionizing for a “more just and functional workplace.” They are seeking a stronger commitment to diversity, higher wages, more job security, greater workplace transparency, clearer paths for job advancement and basic benefits for permalancers.
“We want to continue to attract top talent, not lose it to layoffs, burnout, or better opportunities elsewhere,” the workers wrote. “We know our vision for Condé is possible because we’ve seen the remarkable rights secured by our unionized coworkers.”
The workers also cited the 2020 racial reckoning in their press release. The company made headlines that summer as details emerged that Bon Appétit’s employees of color faced a “toxic” workplace and a culture of racism. Editor-in-chief Adam Rapoport resigned after a photo emerged of him in brownface.
The controversy led to conversations about the need for “substantive changes, which were found to be widely felt across the brands,” the press release reads.
If Condé Nast declines to recognize the new union, workers will have the option of petitioning the National Labor Relations Board for an election. The unions at The New Yorker, Ars Technica, Pitchfork and Wired all received voluntary recognition.
The Condé Nast Union is the latest in a long list of unionization efforts at magazines. In the past two years, hundreds of workers at Forbes, The Atlantic, Meredith and Hearst have launched successful union drives.
