BREAKING: The NewsGuild of New York takes legal action against Condé Nast over executives’ latest layoff proposal, which violates labor law

NEW YORK –  Condé Nast executives – who have sought to intimidate and surveil the company’s unionized workers since management announced layoff plans in November – are now facing further legal action from The NewsGuild of New York over unlawful bargaining tactics during Condé Union’s layoff negotiations. 

Condé Nast executives shared their latest – and revised – proposal for layoffs with the NewsGuild on Thursday, which offered far less than what they had previously proposed. This prompted the Guild to file an unfair labor practice charge at the National Labor Relations Board against the company for regressive bargaining, a form of bad faith bargaining in which one side moves backwards offering less on a proposal than was previously offered. 

Condé Union – which represents workers powering brands such as Allure, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler, Epicurious, Glamour, GQ, Self, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and Condé Nast Entertainment – has been bargaining its first contract since certification in September 2022. As a result, any changes to working conditions, including layoffs, must be negotiated. 

Condé Nast management announced on Nov. 1 its plans to lay off 5% of its workforce. The company then proposed laying off 94 Condé Union members, or 20% of the union, with a severance package offered to other affected workers in the company. 

The Condé Union bargaining team countered with a lower number of layoffs, additional severance and a layoff moratorium. 

On Thursday, Condé Nast executives sent to the NYGuild their latest proposal. Shockingly, this proposal was not in line with good faith bargaining –  it kept the total number of laid-off workers at 94 and cut the previously offered severance by more than half. 

This is the second unfair labor practice charge filed by The NewsGuild of New York on behalf of unionized workers at Condé Nast. On Dec. 4, The NewsGuild of New York filed a charge on behalf of The New Yorker Union against the media publisher over management’s attempts to intimidate and surveil union members as they participated in protected concerted activity. 

Condé Union members are standing firm on their rights as unionized workers. A majority of workers have signed a pledge to walk out if management doesn’t start negotiating on the layoffs in good faith. Bargaining resumes Wednesday.

“We do not agree with Condé Nast management’s apparent plan to pad the company’s bottom line by slashing staff. We remain ready and willing to bargain in good faith about layoffs and other worker concerns, as part of a complete agreement,”  said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “We hope that management is ready to be a good faith partner in these negotiations moving forward. If not, our members are more than ready to take whatever action is necessary to protect jobs.”