Vice Writers Vote To Unionize

By Sameer Rao Aug 10, 2015

Joining journalists at other high-profile "new media" companies, writers at Vice media voted to unionize last Friday, August 7 the Wall Street Journal reported. They join 118 Gawker Media writers, who unionized in June, as part of the Writers Guild of America, East. Along with 45 Guardian U.S. newsroom staffers, the unconfirmed number of Vice writers are continuing a trend of unionizing at privately held media companies. 

Despite their image as trailblazing and edgy—particularly when it comes to confronting political officials and reporting from the center of important racism-centered issues like incaraceration and poverty—Vice Media has been at the center of trenchant criticism for its managerial practices and lack of benefits to writers. A 2014 Gawker piece described the company, which was valued at $2.5 billion last year, as having poor compenastion for editorial employees while spending money on industry parties and cashing in on its counter-culture public image. 

(H/t Wall Street Journal