Staff working across the likes of Elle, Esquire, Harper's BAZAAR and Marie Claire, have formed a mass union with the Writers Guild of America.
The Hearst Magazines employees from various departments including editorial, video, design and social media will be part of a 500-strong media union that will encompass more magazine and digital titles than almost any other in the US.
The decision comes following a number of other unions that have formed in recent years. Individual brands within Condé Nast have unionised, as has BuzzFeed News, Vox Media and Vice Media.
The union - called the WGAE Hearst Magazines Organizing Committee - aims to improve workplace issues and ensure that staff have a say over the conditions of their employment. As a recent open letter states: "We care deeply about the work we do at Hearst and its reputation within the media industry, and we believe we deserve a seat at the table and a say in how we are compensated and treated in the workplace.
“The only way to drive the company culture forward, continue as a leader within the media industry, and make the brands stronger collectively and separately is to consolidate our interests into one strong, collective voice,” it added.
With the support of the Writers Guild of America staff will also have greater transparency over precarious issues such as redundancies, as well as being able to address overarching editorial standards across the Hearst brands.
