New Yorker ⁣Union Staffers Protest Firings at Netflix Documentary screening

NEW YORK – Unionized staff members of The New Yorker protested Thursday evening ‌at a screening⁣ of the Netflix documentary The ⁣New Yorker at 100,​ demonstrating against recent staff terminations following a ‌confrontation with Condé Nast leadership. The ⁤protest involved leafletting ⁤attendees at⁣ the Paris Theater during‍ a post-screening conversation featuring the film’s director, ​Marshall Curry, executive producer Judd ⁢Apatow, and New Yorker editor ⁢David Remnick.

The firings, first reported by The Wrap and confirmed ⁢by The Hollywood Reporter, stemmed‍ from an exchange ⁢that Condé ⁢Nast’s‌ leadership said “violated company policies,” characterizing the workers’ actions as “behaviour‌ that crosses the line into targeted harassment and disruption ⁣of‍ business‍ operations.” The company‌ has also ⁣filed​ a charge with the National Labor Relations​ Board against the NewsGuild of New‍ York, the union representing The ⁣New Yorker staff and‌ othre Condé Nast ⁣employees.

The NewsGuild of ⁤New York contends ⁤the ⁤firings represent “a‌ flagrant breach of‍ the ⁤just Cause terms of our contract and an unprecedented violation of ​ [members’] federally ⁤protected rights.” Among those dismissed was Jasper Lo, a senior​ fact-checker ‌at ‍ The New Yorker who briefly ​appears ‍in​ The​ New Yorker at 100.​ Lo’s termination ​has sparked ⁢internal controversy, ‌with prominent writers including Susan Orlean⁣ and Jay Caspian Kang reportedly protesting the decision, according to The Washington post.

“By retaliating against ​journalists for peaceful and protected activity, the company is trampling on our rights, our union contract, and⁤ the ⁤independence and integrity of The New Yorker,” ‍stated New Yorker union co-chair Daniel ​Gross, ‌who ‌also appears‍ in the⁣ Netflix film.‍ “We will not be intimidated, and we will‍ win.”

The New ‍Yorker at 100-a celebratory portrait of the ‍publication’s history and recent ​success amidst challenges in the media industry-debuts on Netflix⁣ Friday.⁤

This protest follows a mid-November rally outside Condé Nast’s⁢ offices, attended by ‍New York Attorney General Letitia James, who called for⁣ the reinstatement of‍ the terminated workers. New Yorker union co-chair ⁢Lauren Harris ‍stated the magazine should “live up to its reputation for tenacity – not only in its journalism but also in protecting the ‌rights⁣ of ‌its ⁤workers.”