WGA East Members Threaten To Strike HuffPost Unless Given A Fair Contract By Midnight Tuesday

WGA East members employed as writers and editors at the HuffPost news site are threatening to go on strike if a fair contract can’t be reached by Tuesday night at midnight ET.

With only two days left of bargaining, their strike pledge comes after months of negotiations for a new contract. According to the guild, 98% of the 91-member HuffPost Union signed on to the strike pledge.

“We are currently negotiating at the bargaining table,” a HuffPost spokesperson said tonight, “and are optimistic that we can reach a resolution with the HuffPost union by the expiration of the current CBA (collective bargaining agreement).”

The strike pledge, which was delivered to management today says, “We are prepared to strike. We, the members of the HuffPost Union, are committed to a collective bargaining agreement that reflects the realities of the economy, our changing industry, and the issues most important to our unit. This means competitive compensation, annual wage increases that keep up with the cost of living, fair severance, a secure financial future, health and safety provisions that acknowledge Covid-19 is still a work hazard, a real path to career growth, and a slate of benefits and company policies that match HuffPost’s stated interest in worker well-being, health and safety. We will not accept any collective bargaining agreement without these guarantees.

“This entire negotiation has been marked by a lack of preparedness and urgency on the side of management,” the strike pledge adds. “With many unresolved issues and a looming contract expiration, we were disappointed that management offered no economic counter proposals on Friday. Their most recent economic proposal would result in lower yearly wage increases for about 90% of our members at a time of high inflation. This is not a serious proposal and is not acceptable to our members. We hope this strike pledge shows management that we are united in our pursuit of a fair contract.”

Lowell Peterson, Executive Director of the WGA East, said that “Our goal is a collective bargaining agreement that recognizes the value of the work our members do at HuffPost, and we are willing to fight for it.”

The guild got its first contract with HuffPost back in 2017, when the news outlet was known as The Huffington Post.