WGA East Members at Vox Media Sites The Dodo and Thrillist Engage In One-Day Strike

NEW YORK, NY (September 3, 2024) – Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members at The Dodo and Thrillist are engaging in a one-day strike tomorrow, Wednesday, September 4 after demanding raises, promotions and fair and equal status as employees of Vox Media. Management at the popular sites under the Vox Media umbrella has thus far refused to voluntarily recognize members at Thrillist and The Dodo under the Vox Media Union contract.

100% of the 42 members across The Dodo and Thrillist signed the strike pledge, which read:

“We, the undersigned members of The Dodo and Thrillist Unions — who comprise 100% of our bargaining units — are committed to being recognized as members of Vox Media Union under one contract, receiving the cost-of-living adjustments that we are entitled to, and becoming eligible for promotions. 

As Vox Media continues to ignore the will of its employees and appropriately recognize Thrillist and The Dodo employees as members of Vox Media Union, we are left hanging in the balance. Vox Media has withheld raises and promotions until negotiations are finalized, but the company has also repeatedly refused to respect their employees and are forcing a protracted legal fight. This has left 42 of us working more for less money and taking home salaries that don’t even come close to the rising cost of living and inflation. We have asked Vox Media to make cost-of-living adjustments for employees at Thrillist and The Dodo — as they did for hundreds of union and non-union employees over the last few months — but the company has refused and continues to treat us as lesser than the rest of the company. This is unacceptable and, frankly, it’s retaliation for our efforts to join our fellow employees under one union. 

If management does not recognize us as members of Vox Media Union under one contract, institute cost-of-living salary adjustments, and put promotions back on the table, we are prepared to strike.”

Earlier this year, the WGAE filed a Unit Clarification Petition to combine Vox Media Union, Thrillist Union and The Dodo Union. The petition, filed with the NLRB on January 30th, demands merging the three bargaining units that are all under the Vox Media umbrella. Along with filing the Unit Clarification Petition, 300 WGAE members in the Vox Media Union, Thrillist Union, and The Dodo Union delivered a sign-on letter to Vox management.

In a statement, representatives from The Dodo Union and the Thrillist Union, said, “Only employees in the The Dodo and Thrillist unions have had raises withheld. All other Vox employees did receive raises. Vox management is trying to force us into remaining separate, weaker unions by withholding our pay. As more than 95% of Vox Media Union, Thrillist Union, and The Dodo Union have already voted, we are one union. That is our goal. Vox Media management has the opportunity to do the right thing and voluntarily recognize one Vox Media Union. Until then, they must pay us commensurate with all other Vox Media employees. Our walkout, which 100% of our Dodo and Thrillist members have signed on to, demonstrates our commitment to our demands for immediate raises.”

WGAE President Lisa Takeuchi Cullen said, “Despite Vox Media management’s attempts to undermine their unionized employees, our members at Thrillist and The Dodo are making sure their voices are heard with this one-day strike. Members at Vox, Thrillist and The Dodo are coworkers under the same company – and they deserve union protections that represent them as such. It’s time for Vox Media to respect their union’s demands.” 

Vox Media owns sites including New York Magazine, The Verge, The Cut, Eater, Vulture, The Strategist, Polygon, SB Nation, Intelligencer, Curbed, Grub Street, Thrillist, PopSugar, The Dodo and Seeker.

ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA EAST

The Writers Guild of America East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union of more than 7,500 members working in film, television, 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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