Hearst Staffers Given Green Light for Union Election, But Date Yet to Be Decided

Hearst staffers have finally been given the green light to hold a union election, but it is yet to be decided if this can happen by mail as they work from home amid the coronavirus pandemic. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal body charged with making a judgement on if and when a vote can take place since Hearst Magazines refused to voluntarily recognize the union, ruled Friday that employees can have their election as one single strong bargaining unit. The decision will no doubt come as a big relief to hundreds of Hearst employees at titles including Elle, Marie Claire and Harper’s Bazaar, who have been trying to get an election since November. It’s not been an easy battle, with Hearst execs presenting a number of counter arguments to the NLRB, including that the union should be broken up into six separate units and that some staffers aren’t eligible as they are supervisors. In the end, though, the NLRB decided that the bargaining unit does not need to be broken up. But before they can vote, Hearst staffers have to wait for one more decision from the NLRB on how this can actually happen during a pandemic. For its part, the Writers Guild of

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