Union members at Condé Nast are threatening to create an uproar at Monday’s Met Gala, the company’s marquee event hosted by Anna Wintour.
“I’ll see you at the table, or I’ll see you at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.” Condé Union post alerted via X Saturday night, referring to stalled contract negotiations.
It is unclear what actions Condé’s media personnel will take on Monday, or whether they will picket outside the event venue. I was seen doing it at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Sunday. – or more destructive actions such as work stoppages or strikes.
Messages left at New York’s Condé Union and NewsGuild were not immediately returned.
But a source told the Post on Sunday that the union “continues to have discussions.” Members also said they vowed to “do whatever it takes” to secure contracts for employees of the luxury magazine publisher.
“Fashion’s Biggest Night” receives extensive wall-to-wall coverage each year, but nothing is bigger than Condé’s titles like Vogue and Vanity Fair, which boast exclusive access to the biggest stars within the event.
Last week, guild members video telling management The majority have committed to doing whatever it takes to secure a contract ahead of the annual event, and the success of the event is highly dependent on their efforts.
“Management seems to think it is acceptable to threaten us with further job losses and waste time at the negotiation table,” said Alma Avalle, a writer and producer at Bon Appétit magazine. Ta. He spoke to the AFL-CIO, the umbrella labor organization surrounding Condé. Union.
Security at the event, which features some of the world’s biggest stars including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Gisele Bundchen, is notoriously tight, with picketers unlikely to get close to guests.
The union, which represents Allure, Architectural Digest, Bon Appétit, Condé Nast Traveler Epicurious, Glamour, GQ, Self, Teen Vogue, Vanity Fair, Vogue and Them, among others, has been negotiating for its first contract for two years. , no results have been achieved. .
Negotiations have become increasingly tense and stalled in recent months after Condé Nast announced plans to lay off 5% of its workforce, including 17% of union members, in November 2023.
The union, whose slogan when it was founded was “fame doesn’t pay the bills,” is demanding better wages and better medical benefits, including expanded gender-affirming long-term care insurance for transgender employees.
This year’s Met Gala will be co-chaired by Wintour, Zendaya, Jennifer Lopez, Chris Hemsworth and Bad Bunny and will celebrate themed exhibitions curated by Costume Institute chief curator Andrew Bolton. . “Sleeping Beauty: The Reawakening of Fashion.”
The union’s post on Saturday left many wondering whether setting up a picket line outside the event would offend some of the event’s liberal guest list.
“It would be scary for actors to cross this picket line after the SAG strike,” one X user wrote.
“The Condé union, which has been waiting for a contract for so long, is about to go on strike during the Met Gala. After all the stagnation and the World Economic Association strike, I’m not sure the world is ready for how this will turn out. . Which celebrities will cross the picket line?” journalist David Mack added.
The union sent a letter through X on Sunday saying its members support the Fashion Workers Act, which would establish labor protections for models and industry workers outside the Met.
“Without their workers, there would be no fashion. We understand this fundamental principle because without us, there would be no Condé Nast,” the union said in a statement to News Guild.
Condé Nast did not respond to The Post’s request for comment Sunday.
