Hearst Magazines Staffers to Form a Union

Hearst Magazines’ workers are unionizing.
Following in the footsteps of a number of other media organizations, editorial, video, design, photo, and social staff across 24 of New York-based Hearst’s digital and print brands today announced they have unionized with the Writers Guild of America, East.
The brands include Elle, Elle Decor, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Oprah Magazine and Men’s Health and with a “strong majority” of the 500-member staff signing up, the new union will be one of media’s biggest.
Of the decision to unionize, the WGAE’s Hearst Magazines Organizing Committee explained in an open letter that media’s rapidly changing landscape means it’s more important than ever for staff to have a say in the conditions of their employment.
“We care deeply about the work we do at Hearst and its reputation within the media industry, and we believe we deserve a seat at the table and a say in how we are compensated and treated in the workplace,” it said.
“The only way to drive the company culture forward, continue as a leader within the media industry, and make the brands stronger collectively and separately is to consolidate our interests into one strong, collective voice,” it added.
A combination of mass layoffs and

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