Abrams Books Staff Seek a Union Vote with Local 2110

UAW Local 2110 this week petitioned the National Labor Relations Board for a vote on unionization at Abrams Books, a publisher of art and illustrated books, graphic novels and comics, and children’s books headquartered in Manhattan. The wall-to-wall union will include editors, publicists, marketers, production managers, designers, managing editors, as well as sales, distribution, mail room, IT, and finance staffers. The Abrams workers join a growing wave of unionization across digital media and traditional publishing. Staff members cite low wages, job security, and a need for greater transparency as reasons for unionizing.

“The work we do at the company is essential. Without our labor, Abrams couldn’t publish any books,” Sarah Robbins, an Associate Editor who has worked at Abrams for five years, says. “We want to be heard and treated with respect, which includes fair wages and better job protections.”

The last few years have seen thousands of workers in cultural institutions, media, and other traditionally “white collar” roles decide to unionize. Salaries at Abrams Books are among the lowest in the New York City book publishing world with an entry-level rate of just $40,000 a year. Entry-level rates at “Big Five” publishing houses increased to over $50,000 after a major strike by workers at HarperCollins in 2023, but wages at Abrams continue to lag. Read more in Publishers Weekly!