March 1 2022 got weird for a certain New York-based media company. The Gizmodo Media Group (GMG) is one of the few unionized media companies, with staff for websites including Kotaku, Jezebel, Lifehacker, Jalopnik, The Root and of course Gizmodo forming the GMG Union. That group is now officially on strike, as GMG leadership allowed existing contracts to expire while negotiations for renewal were ongoing.
According to the GMG Union, workers met with Great HIll Partners five times over the expiring contracts, alongside “outside counsel.” These meetings did not go well obviously, so the union voted unanimously (among a 93% turnout) to authorize a strike. Now, GMG staffers have formed both a digital and physical picket line, organizing at the company’s New York office. A fundraiser has been started to help the striking workers pay the bills, which has already breached $55,000 after only two days.
GMG Union is affiliated with WGAeast, the east coast’s branch of the Writer’s Guild of America. This union was formed in 2015, getting its initial contract made in 2016 while these websites were under Gawker Media. GMG was acquired by Great Hill Partners in 2019, and problems between management and staff began almost right away. Since then a lot has happened, and this strike is the latest development.
Published: Mar 2, 2022 12:52 pm