Easton, Hearst Magazine employees at three other sites go on strike

Hearst Magazines’ unionized employees, including several from the Easton-based Enthusiast Group, plan to go on strike Thursday to protest the lack of contracts.

The strike by the Writers Guild of America East is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and will continue throughout the day.

Easton’s office, which opened in 2020 at the former Heritage Lanes bowling alley on South Third Street, is responsible for Popular Mechanics, Runner’s World, Bicycling, Biography and Best Products magazines.

Hearst acquired several of these magazines from the Rodale Company, which had long operated in the Lehigh Valley. in early 2018 Workers voted to form a union in late 2019.

“Hearst’s WGA East member has been negotiating its first contract for more than two years, with a projected final date for negotiations of March 28,” the Guild said in a statement to Deadline.com. “With only one negotiating session left, the Hearst Union is in collective action with a unit-wide strike in the fight for a fair first contract.”

A spokesperson for Hearst Magazines said, “We are committed to fostering a workplace where all employees feel supported. We have reached agreement on important issues and will continue to do so. “We look forward to negotiating in good faith and completing this process with a fair contract. Negotiations will resume next week and we have set a date for future meetings.”

Other rallies in support of the strike will be held outside the Hearst offices in New York. Ann Arbor, Michigan. and Birmingham, Alabama.

The guild is Hearst’s editorial, video, design and editorial for over 25 brands including Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Popular Mechanics, Car & Driver, Oprah Daily, Seventeen, Elle and Redbook. It represents about 500 photography staff. and Women’s Day.