Video shows Condé Nast employees confronting HR chief before firings
A video has surfaced showing Condé Nast employees confronting the company’s head of human resources, leading to the firing of four unionized staffers. The incident took place outside HR chief Stan Duncan’s office at One World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Management labeled the confrontation as “extreme misconduct,” a characterization that the union disputes.
The footage captures about 20 editorial staffers seeking to discuss the layoffs related to Teen Vogue’s merger with Vogue.com. Duncan, however, declines to engage and instructs the employees to return to their workplaces before retreating into his office.
Following the confrontation, Condé Nast terminated four union members involved: Jasper Lo of the New Yorker, Jake Lahut of Wired, Alma Avalle of Bon Appétit, and Ben Dewey of Condé Nast Entertainment. The company cited “gross misconduct and policy violations” as reasons for the firings.
Additionally, Condé Nast filed a federal labor complaint against the NewsGuild of New York. The union leaders, however, argue that the video footage proves that the workers were simply exercising their legally protected right to engage in concerted action.
Union president Susan DeCarava stated that the workers were demanding answers from management as a collective group, a common practice to hold management accountable. She criticized Condé Nast’s response to the incident, accusing executives of trying to silence the employees through intimidation tactics.
The company defended its decision to terminate the employees, stating that their behavior crossed the line into targeted harassment and disruption of business operations. Condé Nast emphasized the importance of providing a workplace where every employee feels respected and able to perform their duties without harassment or intimidation.
The union leaders maintain that the firings were unjustified and that the workers were well within their rights to seek answers from management. The dispute between Condé Nast and the union continues as both parties stand by their respective positions.
