Condé Guild Members' Statement on Announcement of Company-wide Staff Cuts

The pandemic has caused massive disruptions in our industry, which was already experiencing upheaval, but our work—across Condé Nast—is more essential than ever. Our staff has worked hard to keep the public informed about a generation-defining global crisis. 

We were disappointed by Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch’s announcement that the company will lay off and furlough a significant number of our colleagues. The majority of the announced cuts and reductions will not affect Guild members. But the Ars Union, New Yorker Union, Pitchfork Union, and WIRED Union stand united in fighting to protect our members as well as advocating for our colleagues across the company. 

Lynch himself said in his announcement, “Our people are the most important part of our company, and we wouldn’t be here without you.” 

The upset caused by this crisis ultimately demonstrates why our members unionized: to protect our jobs and to have a voice, especially in difficult times. All journalists and media workers deserve a say in the decisions affecting their working conditions and livelihoods.

We call on Condé Nast to immediately recognize our colleagues in the WIRED Union and to negotiate over the proposed reductions at WIRED before enacting any cuts. We also expect Condé Nast to ensure that all affected employees across the company are offered a generous severance package that allows them to exit the company without adding to their hardship during the pandemic. 

In solidarity,

The members of Ars Union, The New Yorker Union, Pitchfork Union, and WIRED Union