The WGA East members at G/O Media are ON STRIKE
Writers Guild of America, East members in the GMG Union—representing newsroom workers at Jezebel, The Root, Lifehacker, Kotaku, Jalopnik and Gizmodo—are officially on strike.
The WGAE-G/O Media contract expired at midnight on Monday, February 28.The GMG Union and WGAE Council both voted unanimously in favor of taking collective action to strike.
Please take a moment to support your Guild members as they strike for a fair union contract. Share a message of solidarity to social media, donate to the strike fund, or join the picket line.
You can find sample social media messaging, a link to the strike fund, and information on joining the picket line below.
For more information and to learn about other ways that you can stand with the workers at G/O Media, please visit the GMG Union strike website (external – opens in a new window).
What’s happening?
The GMG Union—which includes newsrooms at Jezebel, The Root, Lifehacker, Kotaku, Jalopnik and Gizmodo—has been bargaining tirelessly leading up to the expiration deadline.
But not only has G/O Media management failed to agree to even the most basic proposals like livable salary minimums and work-from-home flexibility—they’ve also held firm on a number of unacceptable and extreme counter-proposals, including removing all guarantees that the unit’s current health care benefits will continue, slashing parental leave, and eliminating guaranteed annual raises.
What’s more, management refused the union’s proposals on adopting trans-inclusive healthcare and fostering greater workforce diversity, and they won’t agree to language protecting our remote colleagues from forced relocations.
What can I do to help?
Whether you’re a Writers Guild member, a reader of one of G/O Media’s many publications, or an ally in the labor movement, the GMG Union members need your support in order to win their contract. You can join the fight and show your support for the striking workers at G/O Media in a number of ways:
Don’t Cross the Picket Line
If you’re in New York City, please don’t cross our physical picket lines at 1290 Avenue of the Americas. If you’re on the internet, please don’t read or accept freelance work for our six sites (Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Lifehacker, and The Root) for the duration of the strike.
Join the Picket Line
The Guild, GMG Union, and allies will be holding ongoing in-person picketing at G/O Media’s New York Offices, If you would like to join the picket line, please email membernews@wgaeast.org and the union will reach out to you with further information. Your solidarity is greatly appreciated.
Donate to the Strike Fund
Please consider donating to the GMG Union Strike Fund on GoFundMe (external – opens in a new window), which was created to provide financial support for GMG Union members who will suffer financial duress from this interruption to their normal paychecks and health benefits. Collected funds will be disbursed on an opt-in, as-needed basis to help support any union members who need such assistance with specific attention to our BIPOC and LGBTQ colleagues as well as parents struggling with child care.
Sign the letter campaign
Sign a letter of support to G/O Media’s owners (external – opens in a new window), the private equity firm Great Hill Partners. You’ll be joining more than 6,000 other people who believe in GMG Union members and their journalism!
Show your solidarity on social media
If you’re a Guild member:
Tap any of the messages below to share them to Twitter, or copy and paste the messages to Facebook. Be sure to tag @WGAEast on all platforms, and tag @GMGUnion and @GOMediaInc on Twitter.
Twitter – click each image to share the tweet
Copy the post below, then click here to paste it & share the message on Facebook.
I stand with my fellow @WGAEast members at the GMG Union as they strike for a just and fair contract. In 2022, slashing basic worker protections and benefits like parental leave is unconscionable, and I urge Jim Spanfeller and G/O Media to negotiate the contract writers deserve.