Anne Hathaway recently made a bold move by walking out of a Vanity Fair photo shoot in support of the Condé Nast Union walkout. The union, which represents nearly 400 members working at Condé Nast, has initiated a 24-hour work stoppage to protest what they believe to be unlawful negotiation practices.
When Hathaway arrived at the Los Angeles photo shoot, she was unaware of the ongoing work stoppage. However, her team was informed by a staffer from SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) about the situation and advised Hathaway to support the strike. Without hesitation, Hathaway left the shoot, even before the photos had started.
The timing of the walkout coincided with the announcement of the 2024 Oscar nominations. Employees from Vanity Fair, Vogue, GQ, Allure, and other Condé Nast publications gathered outside the company’s offices in New York for a rally. Videos shared on social media showed protesters holding signs that read, “Layoffs are out of fashion” and chanting catchy phrases like, “Say it loud, say it clear, winter’s extra cold this year,” which cleverly played on Anna Wintour’s name.
This union walkout comes after Condé Nast merged digital music publication Pitchfork with men’s magazine GQ, resulting in layoffs, including the departure of editor-in-chief Puja Patel. In a company memo, Anna Wintour, Chief Content Officer and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, explained that this decision was made after a thorough evaluation of Pitchfork’s performance and what would be best for the brand’s future.
The Condé Nast Union had previously shared their plans for a potential walkout on Twitter, stating their commitment to stand up against unlawful practices and layoffs. Meanwhile, in November 2023, Condé Nast’s CEO Roger Lynch announced the company’s plans to lay off over 300 employees and implement cost-reduction measures to improve efficiency.
Anne Hathaway’s decision to support the union walkout sends a powerful message about standing up for workers’ rights in the face of unfair practices. Her action demonstrates the importance of solidarity in creating a fair and just work environment.
Source link: F5 Magazine