Organizing a union is the best way to protect the benefits you currently have, which are at the full discretion of management in a non-union environment. Once your union is recognized, the company must maintain the status quo and can no longer make unilateral changes to terms and conditions of employment; any changes must be negotiated [...]
We all have federally protected rights to advocate for a “Yes” vote leading up to our election and to do so in an environment free from intimidation or interrogation. For more on our rights, please check out this page from the NLRB.
After a majority of the votes cast are in favor of our union, the NLRB will certify our union as the bargaining representative for editorial staff at all our brands. After NLRB certification, Hearst will be legally obligated to engage in good faith bargaining with our union. Then we will proceed to contract negotiations by filling [...]
Management can hold more “informational” or “educational” meetings leading up to the election and can advocate for us to vote “No.” However, they can’t make any threats or offer any inducements to change our minds. They can’t interrogate any of us about our support. If you have any questionable interactions with management (or their representatives), please [...]
The NLRB conducts secret ballot elections. For in-person voting, a Board agent will be present during scheduled voting times for eligible voters to show identification and vote in a booth (similar to the voting process in political elections). For mail ballots (which might be used for Hearst employees who work remotely or in cities outside of [...]
If an agreement can’t be reached in the 8-10 days after a union files for an election, there is a hearing conducted by an NLRB agent to determine eligibility and proceed to an election. The Board agent will go through the proposed list of eligible employees and work with the parties to determine the final list [...]
The rough estimate for our election date is late February or early March 2020.
After a strong majority of Hearst Magazines employees signed union cards, the Hearst Union Organizing Committee and the WGAE asked for voluntary union recognition from the company. Voluntary recognition has been standard in the media industry for the last several years, with employers like Condé Nast and CBS agreeing to respect the will of the majority [...]
The NLRB is the federal agency responsible for enforcing labor laws and administering union elections when employers insist on a formal election process.
Organizing a union is the best way to protect the benefits you currently have, which are at the full discretion of management in a non-union environment. Once your union is recognized, the company must maintain the status quo and can no longer make unilateral changes to employee benefits; any changes must be negotiated through the collective [...]