[ad_1]
The union representing more than 250 HarperCollins employees said they overwhelmingly voted to strike if the publisher did not meet contract requirements.
The local UAW 2110 said 99 percent of workers, mostly women, voted to approve the strike to ensure better pay and benefits, more diversity and stronger union protections. The union said it would announce a deadline for an agreement soon.
Employees work in editorial, sales, publicity, design, legal and marketing departments.
Workers say their average salary of $55,000 is not enough to keep pace with inflation or meet the cost of living in the cities where they work. Salaries start at $45,000 a year, the union said.
“Most of us are underpaid and unlivable in big cities like New York and Boston,” said Laura Harshberger, senior production editor and union president. “Our compensation does not reflect our education and skills, or our contribution to the company’s financial success.”
HarperCollins is headquartered in New York City.
UAW Local 2110 wants HarperCollins to include employees in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt book and media division, which it acquired more than a year ago, into the bargaining unit. It also wants the company to recognize the seniority of New York employees brought in from HMH.
The union said the lack of racial and ethnic diversity at HarperCollins had contributed to “historically low wages.”
News Corp, which owns HarperCollins, said the publisher posted a record profit in fiscal 2021. News Corp reported its full-year 2022 financial results early next month.
A spokesman for HarperCollins said the publisher does not comment on the talks, which began late last year when the one-year pandemic contract was about to expire.
HarperCollins employees have been unionized for 80 years and are the only major book publisher in the U.S. to join the union, the union said.
Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. all rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
[ad_2]
Source link