Hearst Union Election Could Still Happen While Staffers Work From Home

As the coronavirus exacerbates already existing pressures on the media sector, some journalists are looking to their unions for assistance. But hundreds of staffers at Hearst Magazines titles including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Esquire have been waiting since November to have their union election, which they need to be able to reach the bargaining table. First, the publisher refused to acknowledge it, delaying the process. Then came the COVID-19 crisis, which threatened to push a decision further into the long grass as the National Relations Labor Board, the federal body charged with making a judgement on if and when a vote can take place since Hearst hadn’t acknowledged it, halted elections. From Monday, though, Hearst staffers will have another chance at getting their vote while working from home as after assessing the situation, the NLRB plans to start holding union elections again, which could take place remotely. “The board determined that a two-week suspension would provide the general counsel, who is the delegated authority to supervise the regional offices, which conduct elections on the board’s behalf, the opportunity to fully review the logistics of the election procedures in light of the unprecedented situation,” NLRB chairman John F. Ring said. “The general

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