Vox Media Engage in One-Day Walkout on Final Day of Contract Negotiations
NEW YORK, NY (June 6, 2019) – Over 300 members of Vox Media’s staff union with the Writers Guild of America, East are today engaging in a one-day walkout on the final scheduled day of bargaining with management.
The Guild has been collective bargaining with Vox Media’s management since April 10, 2018. The Guild and management are still apart on issues including salary minimums, guaranteed annual cost-of-living increases, severance agreement and addressing the role of freelancers and subcontracting work.
The Vox Media bargaining committee wrote on Twitter, “Today‘s our last scheduled day of bargaining. @voxmediainc is still apart from us on: competitive wage scales, strong guaranteed raises, better severance, subcontracting work. We’ve decided we’re not showing up to work today until we resolve these issues. Our unit members are taking their sites dark today to show management how important these issues are to us. Contract now.”
Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the Writers Guild of America, East, added, “Although our negotiators and the Vox Media bargaining committee have been working overtime for a long time, and have made many important gains at the table, the company has to do more to address concerns about pay fairness and transparency. These issues are essential to the people we represent at Vox Media, and these employees are demonstrating their resolve, their solidarity, and their commitment. The WGAE is proud to be their collective bargaining representative.”
On June 4th, over 450 members of the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) working in scripted film and television, including WGAE President Beau Willimon (THE FIRST), Neil LaBute (VAN HELSING) and David Simon (THE DEUCE), signed a petition urging Vox Media to agree to a union contract.
Four years ago this week, Gawker Media began a wave of newsrooms unionizing with the Writers Guild of America, East. In addition to Vox Media, the Guild now represents staffs at Fast Company, Talking Points Memo, ThinkProgress, HuffPost, The Intercept, VICE, Salon, Slate, CBSN, Gimlet Media, Refinery29, Thrillist, The Dodo, Onion Inc., Future plc, MTV News and Gizmodo Media Group.
ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, news and new media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.
###
