Condé Nast has voluntarily unionized some of its other non-union publications, as well as its production arm, Condé Nast Entertainment.
The union was voluntarily recognized after a ticket check took place Friday afternoon, New York’s NewsGuild – the union that workers join – announced later in the day. The negotiating units involved include 500 staffers working in the video, editing and production fields at brands, including: To tempt, Architectural summary, Enjoy your dinner, Condé Nast Traveler, epicurious, glamour, GQ, Yourself, Teen Vogue, them., Vanity Fair and Fashion as well as Condé Nast Entertainment, and includes about 100 subcontractors. The four new negotiating units involved are called US Digital Video Production, Programming and Development; Editorial brands and knowledge centers; trade; and audience development and social. (New York’s NewsGuild already represents workers at The New Yorker, Wiredpitchfork and Ars Technica.)
In a commentary, a Condé Nast spokesperson said: “After productive discussions with the NewsGuild over the past few months, we have agreed to voluntarily recognize four new editorial and business units. We look forward to working together on our collective bargaining agreements after successful contracts with The New YorkerArs Technica and Pitchfork unions and the current contract with WIRED.”
These latest company employees attempting to unionize first announced their efforts in March 2022, when they sent a letter to management asking for voluntary recognition. At the time, employees stressed that the prestige of the brands they worked for conflicted with their actual pay, saying they had issues with overtime and long hours, job security, company guidelines for going back to the office, and diversity and fairness at work. the company.
Jess Lane, a Condé Nast Entertainment employee and member of the organizing committee, said in a statement. “My colleagues and I have shown through our organization that we are not satisfied with these precarious working conditions. Many of our issues exist in our industry and we hope other companies and workplaces take notice.”
In 2018, editors of The New Yorker was the first to announce union action at Condé Nast, followed by efforts at Ars Technica and Pitchfork a year later and wired in 2020. The New Yorker, Pitchfork and Ars Technica unions ratified their first contracts in 2021 after a sometimes contentious negotiation period, which culminated in a vote to approve a strike. The wired union is still negotiating its first contract.
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome more than 500 Condé Nast members to our union, joining their union mates on The New YorkerArs Technica, Pitchfork and wiredNew York President Susan DeCarava’s NewsGuild said in a statement. “Conde Nast’s legendary publications would be nowhere without the hard-working employees who do their jobs day in and day out, and we are proud to say that they are now fully unionized..”