Vox employees are threatening to strike unless they are given a new media contract that includes better pay and protections against artificial intelligence taking their jobs.
The strike threat was made on Tuesday by the Writers Guild of America East, which said 95% of its bargaining members approved of the plan. Vox is the parent company of outlets like New York magazine, The Verge and Vulture.
“We, the undersigned members of the Vox Media Union, are unwavering in our commitment to securing a collective bargaining agreement that fairly addresses the current economic environment, the rapidly evolving digital media landscape and other issues that our unit has deemed as critical,” the guild said.
Beyond the safeguards against AI, the guild is calling for minimum compensation and annual raises “that reflect today’s economy and cost of living” and for benefits that better represent the workplace “Vox publicly praises itself for having.” A guild rep said the bargaining unit has 250 members; the rep declined to comment on what the guild’s specific salary and raise demands are.
Tuesday’s pledge said it is also looking for a “more just approach to Vox’s constant stream of layoffs.” Vox in January went through its third round of job cuts in two months, kickstarting what has been a brutal year for the media industry.
A Vox representative declined to comment when reached by TheWrap.
The WGA East’s proposal also said it is looking for a joint contract that includes members of The Dodo Union. It did not say when the strike would occur, but that its members are “prepared” for it.
