The staff of Refinery29 are the latest to unionize, joining the Writers Guild of America, East. Jezebel reports that it is the “first women’s media company to independently unionize.” The news comes only a few months after the site laid off 40 full-time staff members due to being “5 percent short on its 2018 revenue target.”
“Every day we watch our coworkers, a majority of whom are women, make contributions and execute ideas that make Refinery29 unlike any other media outlet — but that doesn’t mean we are immune to the challenges our industry is currently facing,” reads a statement. “By organizing, we hope to protect our progressive, creative, and fearless spirit by giving employees a seat at the table, including during the times when Refinery29 must decide how it will adapt to the shifting media landscape. Additionally, we want to ensure our voice comprises diverse, fairly-paid and excited employees, who have no trouble seeing a future at the company.”
The @Refinery29 editorial staff is proud to work at an outlet that believes in encouraging women to challenge the status quo, in their lives and in the world. We believe that unionizing is the best way, and the feminist answer, to address our workplace issues. #R29Union
— R29 Union (@R29Union) January 9, 2019
“We believe that unionizing is the best way, and the feminist answer, to address our workplace issues,” it continues. “This way we’ll be able to continue publishing stories and creating content that serve as a catalyst for women to see, feel, and claim their power. We hope that Refinery29 will voluntarily recognize our union and that together we can begin building a stronger and more equitable organization that will inspire women for years to come.”
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest fashion news and juicy industry gossip.
