Members of the Writers Guild of America East at Hearst Magazines staged a half-day walkout Tuesday after negotiations with management failed to produce a second collective bargaining agreement before their contract expired.
The action affects roughly 400 union members whose first contract expired Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026. Workers held walkouts and rallies at Hearst Tower in Manhattan as well as at Hearst offices in Los Angeles; Easton, Pennsylvania; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Birmingham, Alabama.
Union members at the New York City rally were joined by New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and NYC Central Labor Council President Brendan Griffith.
The walkout follows about a month of negotiations during which the union says Hearst management proposed lower raises than those included in the previous contract, increased in-office work expectations without guarantees of flexibility and offered no protections related to the use of artificial intelligence.
“The members of the Hearst Magazines Union are walking off the job today because our contract has expired and management is still refusing to address all of our concerns/demands,” the Hearst Magazines Union bargaining committee and contract action team said in a statement. “We are returning unconditionally to work, and to the bargaining table, on Wednesday, February 4. We believe a fair deal for all Union members is not just possible, but imperative.”
Last week, the Writers Guild of America East announced that 85% of the Hearst Magazines Union bargaining unit signed a strike pledge. The union also said more than 2,200 union members and supporters sent letters to Hearst management urging the company to reach an agreement before the contract expiration.
“Hearst management forced their staff to escalate to today’s walkout when they failed to meet the members’ very reasonable demands before their current contract expired,” Sara David, vice president of online media for the Writers Guild of America East, said. “The Writers Guild and our allies are ready to support the Hearst Union should they need to strike to get a deal that fully addresses their concerns.”
Hearst Magazines and the union have agreed to continue negotiations following the contract expiration, with talks scheduled to resume Wednesday, Feb. 4, which is currently the final scheduled bargaining date.
