Condé Nast Staffers Stage Protest In CEO’s Office Amid Contentious Union Negotiations

By Patrick Hipes, Dade Hayes

March 20, 2024 2:57pm

Contentious contract negotiations between publishing giant Condé Nast and the union representing staffers at many of its magazines spilled over Wednesday when staffers marched to the New York City offices of the company’s CEO.

The action by members of Condé Union comes after it criticized Tuesday’s negotiations over the first contract since the NewsGuild union received certification in 2022. According to the union, during the talks, management threatened to add five additional layoffs to a proposed list and possibly more.

After the company announced layoffs affecting 5% of staffers last November, talks with the union yielded a higher percentage of union members who could be affected. According to the union, the company proposed to lay off 94 union members, about 20% of the union’s membership.

Negotiations are set to resume on Thursday.

A rep for Condé Nast, when contacted by Deadline, did not offer any initial comment on the back and forth with the union. The company has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board

Organizers have claimed management was not bargaining in good faith. They cited comments from CEO Roger Lynch in a recent interview that no more cuts were planned, and that Conde Nast‘s parent company Advance “stands to benefit from Reddit’s upcoming public offering to the tune of nearly $2 billion.”

The union announced it would protest Tuesday’s meeting by marching to the company’s executive offices at One World Trade Center in Manhattan. Today, Condeunion posted a photo on its social media channels showing more than 30 staffers in the offices, but there was no interaction with members of senior management.