New Yorker โฃUnion Staffers Protest Firings at Netflix Documentary screening
NEW YORK – Unionized staff members of The New Yorker protested Thursday evening โat a screeningโฃ of the Netflix documentary The โฃNew Yorker at 100,โ demonstrating against recent staff terminations following a โconfrontation with Condรฉ Nast leadership. The โคprotest involved leafletting โคattendees atโฃ the Paris Theater duringโ a post-screening conversation featuring the film’s director, โMarshall Curry, executive producer Judd โขApatow, and New Yorker editor โขDavid Remnick.
The firings, first reported by The Wrap and confirmed โขby The Hollywood Reporter, stemmedโ from an exchange โขthat Condรฉ โขNast’sโ leadership said “violated company policies,” characterizing the workers’ actions as “behaviourโ that crosses the line into targeted harassment and disruption โฃofโ businessโ operations.” The companyโ has also โฃfiledโ a charge with the National Labor Relationsโ Board against the NewsGuild of Newโ York, the union representing The โฃNew Yorker staff andโ othre Condรฉ Nast โฃemployees.
The NewsGuild of โคNew York contends โคthe โคfirings represent “aโ flagrant breach ofโ the โคjust Cause terms of our contract and an unprecedented violation of โ [members’] federally โคprotected rights.” Among those dismissed was Jasper Lo, a seniorโ fact-checker โat โ The New Yorker who briefly โappears โinโ Theโ New Yorker at 100.โ Lo’s termination โhas sparked โขinternal controversy, โwith prominent writers including Susan Orleanโฃ and Jay Caspian Kang reportedly protesting the decision, according to The Washington post.
“By retaliating against โjournalists for peaceful and protected activity, the company is trampling on our rights, our union contract, andโค the โคindependence and integrity of The New Yorker,” โstated New Yorker union co-chair Daniel โGross, โwho โalso appearsโ in theโฃ Netflix film.โ “We will not be intimidated, and we willโ win.”
The New โYorker at 100-a celebratory portrait of the โpublication’s history and recent โsuccess amidst challenges in the media industry-debuts on Netflixโฃ Friday.โค
This protest follows a mid-November rally outside Condรฉ Nast’sโข offices, attended by โNew York Attorney General Letitia James, who called forโฃ the reinstatement ofโ the terminated workers. New Yorker union co-chair โขLauren Harris โstated the magazine should “live up to its reputation for tenacity – not only in its journalism but also in protecting the โrightsโฃ of โits โคworkers.”