Statement on Vox Media Layoffs

NEW YORK, NY (January 20, 2023) – The following is a statement from the Vox Media Union organized with the Writers Guild of America, East regarding today’s layoffs:

Our committee spent Friday morning hearing from members of the Vox Media Union as they waited for emails to let them know if they would still have a job. We are coming off of three years of working in tough conditions — through a pandemic with limited resources — and the way our colleagues were treated today is unconscionable. These cuts come after multiple rounds of layoffs in 2022, in which we lost many valued colleagues. We are furious at how this will impact our colleagues who have lost their jobs and remain concerned about the long-term morale of those who remain.

We are committed to fighting for those who were affected by these layoffs, and holding management accountable for their actions. We won strong severance in our contract, and we are working as a union to further protect our impacted colleagues. 

Cyclical layoffs hurt our brands, hurt our business prospects, hurt our credibility, hurt our values, and hurt our people. Our union knows the greatest asset of Vox Media is its workers. We are grateful for our Vox Media Union, organized with the Writers Guild of America, East.

ABOUT THE WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST

The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in film, television, broadcast and streaming news, podcasts, and online media. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.

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