Condé Nast and Union Reach Settlement Over “Fired Four”

Key Points:

• On Nov. 5, 2025, four union members of NewsGuild of New York were fired and five suspended by Condé Nast after confronting the company's chief people officer about layoffs and changes at Teen Vogue, with the company citing policy violations and harassment.
• Nearly six months later, a settlement was reached where three of the four fired workers had their status changed to allowed resignation with nearly two years’ pay and positive recommendations, while suspended workers received backpay and erased disciplinary records.
• The fourth fired worker, Jake Lahut, a probationary employee, rejected a lesser settlement and is pursuing an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, with the case potentially taking years.
• The NewsGuild of New York called the settlement a victory for workers’ rights to collective action, while Condé Nast stated the agreement was mutual with no admission of wrongdoing, emphasizing adherence to company policies against harassment.
• Former fired union members expressed mixed feelings about the settlement; some view it as a win for labor rights, while Lahut continues to fight the termination and works freelance and contract jobs.