Writers Guild of America East members at Hearst Magazines have reached an agreement with management to ratify a second three-year collective bargaining agreement.
The new contract was ratified with 98% approval by the 410-member bargaining unit and establishes 2-3% raises, applying retroactively to Jan. 1, 2026. The contract will also increase salary minimums in the lowest tier by 11.8% to $62,400 in every location where the magazine operates.
“We made many important gains — better raises, higher wage floors and an improved 401k match — for members of our unit with this contract,” the Hearst Magazine Union bargaining committee said in a Monday statement. “We also know there is still a great deal of work to be done to make Hearst Magazines a place we can all be proud of. We hope this ratification sends a clear message to management that we are only getting stronger and more cohesive as time goes on, and that we will always fight for a more equitable workplace.”
The company saw a half-day walkout and strike earlier this month after negotiations with management failed to produce a second collective bargaining agreement. Employees at Hearst publications across Manhattan, Los Angeles, Ann Arbor, Birmingham and Easton, Pennsylvania, all agreed to bargain past the contract’s Jan. 31 expiration date.
The tentative agreement was reached with management on Friday, Feb. 13.
“Hearst management consistently underestimated the solidarity of the Hearst Magazines Union,” Sara David, VP of the WGAE’s online media sector, said. “While this contract is a step forward, our members are clear-eyed that there is still more to fight for: meaningful AI protections, flexible remote work policies, and wages that reflect their contributions to the $13.5 billion in profits Hearst boasted last year. We are proud of this membership, and Hearst should understand that this ratification is not complacency — it’s a starting point for the next negotiations.”
The Hearst Magazines Union includes publications Autoweek, Best Products, Bicycling, Car and Driver, Cosmopolitan, Country Living, Delish, ELLE, ELLE Decor, Esquire, Food Network Magazine, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, HGTV Magazine, HOT ROD, House Beautiful, Men’s Health, MotorTrend, Oprah Daily, The Pioneer Woman, Popular Mechanics, Prevention, Road & Track, Runner’s World, Seventeen, Town & Country, Veranda, Woman’s Day and Women’s Health.
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