Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) members working at Hearst Magazines staged a half-day walkout last week after contract talks with management broke down. The 400-member bargaining unit was negotiating its second contract, but their first agreement expired on Saturday, January 31, 2026, without a new deal in place.
Union members held coordinated actions at Hearst Tower in Manhattan as well as at company offices in Los Angeles, Easton, Ann Arbor, and Birmingham. At the New York walkout, members were joined by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York City AFL-CIO Central Labor Council President Brendan Griffith.
The demonstration followed a month of negotiations in which the union says management proposed raises smaller than those in the previous contract, increased in-office requirements without guaranteed flexibility, and offered no protections related to artificial intelligence.
In a joint statement, the Hearst Magazines Union Bargaining Committee and Contract Action Team said members walked out because their contract had expired and management had not addressed their key demands. “We believe a fair deal for all union members is not just possible, but imperative,” the statement said.
The Guild also reported that 85 percent of the bargaining unit has signed a strike pledge. Additionally, more than 2,200 union members and supporters sent letters to management urging the company to reach a fair contract with WGAE-represented employees before the January 31 expiration date.
