Unions workers at Hearst Magazines ratified a deal with the company, marking their second three-year collective bargaining agreement. The contract was overwhelmingly ratified with 98% approval by the 410-member bargaining unit of the Hearst Magazines members, who are affiliated with the Writers Guild of America East.
The new agreement covers staffers at 29 Hearst Magazines publications including Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire, Harper’s Bazaar and Good Housekeeping.
The contract establishes 2%-3% annual raises, with the 2026 raise applying retroactively to Jan. 1, 2026, and increases salary minimums in the lowest tier by 11.8% to $62,400 in every location, according to WGA East. Other highlights include “improved severance protections” and enhanced 401(k) and retirement benefits, with the company providing a 100% match on the first 3% of employee 401(k) contributions.
The new contract expires April 29, 2029, establishing “a more favorable bargaining timeline,” WGA East said. The tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 13, 2026.
The union had engaged in more than two months of negotiations with Hearst Magazines, during which the guild agreed to continue talks past the previous contract’s Jan. 31, 2026, expiration date. The WGA East members at Hearst Magazines had authorized a strike if the two sides were unable to reach an agreement by Feb. 13. That came after union members at the company staged walkouts and rallies on Feb. 3 at Hearst Tower in New York City and at Hearst offices in L.A., Easton, Pa., Ann Arbor, Mich., and Birmingham, Ala.
The Hearst Magazines Union bargaining committee said Monday, “We made many important gains — better raises, higher wage floors, and an improved 401k match — for members of our unit with this contract. 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.”
Sara David, VP of the WGA East’s Online Media Sector said in a statement, “Hearst management consistently underestimated the solidarity of the Hearst Magazines Union. 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 WGA East-affiliated Hearst Magazines Union, established in 2019, includes workers at the following 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.
In addition to Hearst Magazines, the WGA East’s Online Media Sector reps employees at companies including Bustle Digital Group, Civic News Group, Committee to Protect Journalists, Fast Company and Inc., Financial Times Specialist, Future PLC, Gizmodo Media USA, Jalopnik at Static Media, HuffPost, Jewish Currents, NowThis, Onion Inc., Salon, Slate, Talking Points Memo, The Intercept, The Root, Vox Media and Vice.
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