From Adweek | The Ziff Davis Creators Guild Votes to Authorize a Strike

The following story originally appeared on Adweek: 

After two years of negotiating with management, the Ziff Davis Creators Guild announced Thursday that 97% of its members have voted to authorize a strike.

The announcement comes as ZDCG returns to the bargaining table Thursday to negotiate compensation increases for guild members. The guild, which has around 70 members, represents the editorial staffs of PCMag, Mashable and AskMen.

The vote authorizes the guild to organize a strike, but it’s not a de facto declaration of a forthcoming strike. The guild hopes to use the announcement to show management that ZDCG members are committed to their demands and willing to take collective action.

“The results of the strike authorization vote that we took give us a very clear mandate,” said Jordan Minor, an analyst at PCMag and member of the ZDCG executive committee. “Our unit is ready to do what it takes to get this contract that we feel we deserve after two years of bargaining.”

The guild staged a walkout on April 15 in response to what it characterized as bad-faith bargaining from management. The guild has called for compensation raises for editorial staff, and many guild members have shared personal stories detailing how their current wages have left them unable to afford medication or start families.

“Our goal is fair pay that will improve the lives of our members,” said Max Eddy, security analyst at PCMag and member of the guild’s executive committee. “Several of our members have bravely spoken to management in our bargaining sessions, outlining the difficulties they’ve faced with low pay in one of the country’s most expensive cities.” 

Ziff Davis Media Group offered this statement:

“Later today, we are meeting with the Ziff Davis Creators Guild (representing the editorial teams of PCMag, Mashable, and AskMen) for our next bargaining session. This morning, they shared a press release indicating they have voted to authorize a strike. We have responded to all of their proposals and are awaiting their position coming from our bargaining sessions on May 4 and May 12. We have continually bargained in good faith and privately with the ZDCG to reach a contract that is fair and equitable with the business we have at ZMG. We are very disappointed they continually feel the need to bargain in public, especially given how far we’ve come in negotiating a collective bargaining agreement. We respect the process and look forward to meeting with the ZDCG this afternoon.”

The action from ZDCG comes as a wave of unionization efforts have swept through the media industry, including recent announcements from Forbes and The Appeal.

“We’ve been ready to come to an agreement for a long time,” Eddy said. “We’ve been patient with management, but I think the strike vote demonstrates that our members are fed up.”

Read the story here.