William Simpson
The Condé Nast union said on Monday it had reached a tentative labor agreement with the publisher’s management just hours before the I met Galachaired by Anna Wintour, the company’s global content director and editorial director.
The agreement, which still needs to be ratified by union members, was reached after months of bitter negotiations that failed to produce the first employment contract for employees of the New York media company. Union members were prepared to picket I met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Monday night,
“On behalf of the management bargaining committee and leaders across the business, we are pleased to reach tentatively agreed terms in a contract with the union,” Condé Nast Chief People Officer Stan Duncan said in a statement. “We are pleased to have a contract that reflects and supports our core values — our content and journalism; our commitment to diversity and professional development; our industry-leading hiring practices and our competitive salaries and benefits.”
The union includes employees at GQ, Allure, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Glamour, Bon Appétit, Epicurious, Self, Teen Vogue, they, Condé Nast Traveler, Ars Technica, Wired, Pitchfork and Architectural Digest, as well as audience development workers , commerce and video.
The Met Gala, officially called The Costume Institute Benefit, takes place at first monday in May at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The event celebrity encounters from the worlds of entertainment, design, sports and other industries supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s fashion-related acquisitions and exhibitions.
The Condé Nast union said the new contract will guarantee a minimum starting salary of $61,500; end a two-tier wage system that has led to lower wages for long-term freelancers; and offering two additional weeks of family leave, among other benefits.
Overall, workers will see a combined pay increase of $3.3 million under the deal, the group said on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“Our persistent fight for our rights and the best possible victory is the reason we have this provisional agreement,” the union said. he said.
