The Onion Union is Ready to Strike!

The Onion Union announced that 97% of their 35-member bargaining unit signed a pledge to strike if they do not reach a fair agreement with parent company G/O Media before their contract expires on January 31.

This week, the Writers Guild of America East filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against G/O Media for “bargaining in bad faith” at Onion Inc. (The Onion, The A.V. Club, Deadspin, The Takeout).

In a statement, The Onion Union said, “We came ready to bargain for a fair contract and make movement to reach a middle ground. It’s unfortunate that management is not interested in getting a deal or bargaining in good faith. We’re simply asking for fair pay and basic protections against AI, which is an existential threat to our industry. There is one person standing in the way of this deal: G/O Media CEO Jim Spanfeller.”

Jim Spanfeller seems to think that when it comes to demands to treat his workers with dignity and respect, the best response is no response. However, we’re confident that there’s one group of people Jim Spanfeller will take the time to respond to: his private equity firm bosses. Please take a moment to write to G/O Media’s portfolio management team at Great Hill Partners demanding that Spanfeller engage with the union and settle a fair contract at Onion, Inc. — if not for the workers themselves, for the sake of G/O Media’s financial health.