Condé Nast and Union Strike Deal, Avoiding Met Gala Disruption

After months of negotiation over its first contract and proposed layoffs, the Condé Union, which represents employees of Vanity Fair, Vogue and GQ reached a deal with Condé Nast just hours ahead of the Met Gala, where union members had been threatening to protest.

“On behalf of the management bargaining committee and leaders throughout the business, we are pleased to come to tentatively agreed terms on a contract with the union ... We are happy to have a contract that reflects and supports our core values - our content and journalism,” said Condé Nast chief people officer Stan Duncan in an email to staff around 3:30 am on May 6, viewed by BoF.

The new contract includes $3.6 million in wage increases, and eight weeks of severance for laid-off employees, according to a statement from the NewsGuild of New York, the union’s organising body. On Instagram, the union said it also established a $61,500 starting salary floor. Members will vote to ratify the contract later this week.

In the week leading up to the event — which is sponsored by Condé Nast, hosted by the company’s chief content officer Anna Wintour, historically staffed by Vogue employees, and a big night for content generation across Condé-owned publications — union members turned up the pressure on management, presenting a work stoppage pledge on Apr. 29.

On May 5, the Union posted a list of employees ready to “do whatever it takes for a fair contract” saying “meet us at the table or we will meet you at The Met,” on Instagram.

”We made a commitment to do whatever it takes to get our contract,” said Mark Alan Burger, Vanity Fair social media manager and a member of the union bargaining team. “All the actions we took this week pushed the company to really negotiate.”

Learn more:

Condé Nast Union Threatens Strike Ahead of Met Gala

The union delivered the announcement through a video at a bargaining session today, promising “a week of union actions” in the statement.