The Namahh Edit

Over 400 Condé Nast employees, the creative force behind esteemed publications like Vanity Fair, Vogue, and GQ, staged a momentous one-day walkout on Tuesday. Their protest, strategically aligned with the day of the Academy Awards nominations, aimed to denounce the company’s callous plan to lay off staff.

This historic stand, orchestrated by the NewsGuild of New York, is a direct response to what they deemed as the “unlawful handling of layoff negotiations and bad-faith bargaining.”

This spirited defiance stems from Condé Nast’s announcement on November 1 about slashing 5% of its workforce. The initial plan evolved into a distressing decision to lay off 94 unionized members, constituting around 20% of the Condé Nast Union. 

Over 300 employees would be affected by layoffs and cost-cutting measures, leaving the staff grappling with an uncertain future. Even with promises of enhanced severance packages and career services, the wounds of these decisions run deep.

The union’s bargaining team proposed a more compassionate approach with fewer layoffs, increased severance, and a moratorium on cuts.

However, the publisher’s response, revealed in January, maintained the callous total of 94 cuts and nearly halved the proposed severance. This act of corporate insensitivity prompted the 24-hour walkout, a resolute stand to declare that disrespect at the bargaining table will not be tolerated any longer.

Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York, declared, “Media workers at Condé Nast are key to the company’s success and reputation for excellence. They deserve for their work to be respected on the job and at the bargaining table.”

Recent events, like the merging of Pitchfork with GQ and the subsequent layoffs, have only added fuel to the collective dissatisfaction. Anna Wintour, the chief content officer, framed it as an evolution for the brand, but for the employees, it’s another blow to their stability.