More than 300 WGA Members Working in Film and TV Sign Petition to Support Guild Members in Hearst Union
NEW YORK, NY (March 21, 2023) – More than 300 members of the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) working in film and television signed a petition to support their fellow Guild members in the Hearst Magazines Media Union as they head into their final scheduled day of bargaining on March 28th. The petition was sent to Hearst management.
The petition is signed by Guild film and television members like Kay Cannon (PITCH PERFECT), Jen Statsky (HACKS), Seth Reiss (THE MENU), Adam Brooks (MOZART IN THE JUNGLE), Soo Hugh (PACHINKO), Richard Lagravenese (THE FISHER KING), James Schamus (HIDDEN TIGER, CROUCHING DRAGON), and more.
The petition, which is attached, reads:
As WGA members in scripted film and television, we stand in solidarity with our colleagues at HearstMagazines – including Best Products, Bicycling, Car and Driver, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Delish, ELLE, ELLE Décor, Esquire, Food Network Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s BAZAAR, HGTV Magazine, House Beautiful, Men’s Health, Oprah Daily, The Pioneer Woman, Popular Mechanics, Prevention, Road & Track, Runner’s World, Seventeen, Town & Country, Veranda, Woman’s Day, and Women’s Health – as they bargain their first union contract.
Film, television, and other parts of the media and entertainment industries have long been unionized because creative workers fought for a seat at the table to negotiate fair wages, good benefits, and just working conditions. Hearst occupies considerable space in the media industry – with key television channels, stations, newspapers, and magazines — and our industry is watching.
We call on the company to immediately agree to a union contract that lives up to its status as a leader in this industry.
Read the full petition with signees here.
After more than two years of negotiations, the Hearst Union is fighting to close out a collective bargaining agreement with management that includes fair salary minimums, fair wage increases, better severance, and strong anti-harassment protections, among other key issues.
The unit is planning walkout and rallies on March 23rd at 1:00pm ET at Hearst Tower in Manhattan, NY, and at Hearst offices in Easton, PA, Ann Arbor, MI, and Birmingham, AL. The worker-led action is being taken to demand the Company come to the bargaining table on their last scheduled day of bargaining with proposals that can lead to a fair first contract.
The 500-member bargaining unit at Hearst Magazines includes editorial, video, design, photo, and social staff across 28 brands—Autoweek, Best Products, Bicycling, Car and Driver, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Delish, ELLE, ELLE Decor, Esquire, Food Network Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, HGTV Magazine, House Beautiful, Marie Claire, Men’s Health, O The Oprah Magazine, Popular Mechanics, Prevention, Road & Track, Runner’s World, Seventeen, The Pioneer Woman, Town & Country, Veranda, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health.
ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, broadcast and streaming news, podcasts, and online 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.
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