Unionized workers sign on to pledge to walk off the job unless management agrees to a fair contract. Such a work stoppage would be a first for the magazine.
NEW YORK – The unionized workers of New York Magazine, represented by The NewsGuild of New York, have informed management that they are prepared to walk off the job unless they get a fair contract, including strong AI protections.
On Thursday, the New York Magazine Union, which represents around 150 writers, editors, fact checkers, copy editors, photo editors, designers, and other editorial producers, sent Vox Media Chief Executive Jim Bankoff, Vice Chair Pam Wasserstein, and New York Magazine Editor-in-Chief David Haskell a notice of members’ intent to withhold their labor if necessary, as well as launched a public pledge drive asking subscribers to honor a digital picket line should they walk off the job.
“During a turbulent time in the industry, Vox Media has a chance to step up and stake out some stability for New York Magazine, which would seemingly be in line with the values of its leaders,” Bridget Read, New York Magazine Union Unit Chair said. “Instead, the company is refusing to give us a contract that meets the basic needs of our unit. New York Magazine employees have helped the magazine and Vox Media survive, and all we are asking for is that Vox helps ensure our survival.”
The union has been in bargaining negotiations with parent company Vox Media on its second contract for nearly a year. Management has maintained their refusal to guarantee job protections on AI and wages that keep up with inflation as well as enacting costly changes to health care that violate labor law.
AI protections are especially important to the union, as just months ago Vox announced a major deal with OpenAI to license its portfolio contents. Vox execs have refused to discuss any details of the deal and throughout bargaining, management has not agreed to any language that would specifically protect jobs. “The company has refused to tell us where that money is going, but we can say with confidence based on the company’s paltry wage offers that the money is not going to the employees who produce the work that made that deal valuable in the first place,” Reeves Wiedeman, the New York Magazine Union’s Vice Chair said.
Despite this influx of revenue, the success of the magazine’s subscription business, and revenue growth at The Strategist and The Cut, Vox management has stuck by their stingy wage increase proposal that barely addresses inflation.
In addition, Vox execs thumbed their nose at labor law by enacting changes to workers’ health care that dramatically increased out-of-pocket costs for union members (while saving the company money) without first bargaining with the union. The Guild filed an unfair labor practice charge in October over these unilateral changes.
“Vox Media and New York Magazine management can easily solve the labor unrest at the magazine,” said Susan DeCarava, President of the New York Guild. “They can agree to a contract that recognizes our members’ contributions and value. It’s just that simple.”