On August 21, the Pitchfork staff was informed that Condé Nast will be assuming control of Pitchfork’s video production via Condé Nast Entertainment (CNE). As a part of this change, all six members of our video team were told that their positions are being eliminated and that they could re-apply for two new positions at CNE. Yesterday was our video team’s final day at Pitchfork.

These layoffs affirm our need for a strong union at Pitchfork. We are frustrated by how our coworkers have been treated throughout this process. Not only were they told that the financial details of their severance packages would depend on a “professional” exit, but they were also asked to plan projects that would exceed their established exit date, which kept changing due to management’s lack of foresight. As a union, we demanded that our colleagues be treated with respect and receive the best possible severance.

The video team has always been integral to the site’s identity, from creating shows like Over/Under to filming festival performances. We’re deeply saddened to see them go and disappointed with the lack of leadership shown by Condé Nast and Pitchfork management in the way this transition was executed.

We thank our colleagues in the video department for acting with such dignity when they deserve far better.

In solidarity,

The Pitchfork Union

Over the past 22 years, Pitchfork has established itself as the standard-bearer of music journalism for a passionate and dedicated readership. It has played an indispensable role in leading critical conversations and championing the artists who shape the future of music. We, the editorial team of Pitchfork, are proud of the authoritative voice we’ve established. But in order to produce quality work, we believe that Condé Nast must strive to create a sustainable and inclusive environment for our staff.

Behind Pitchfork is a team of editors, writers, reporters, directors, producers, and social media specialists. We are a small staff with a large cultural footprint. From documentaries to investigative reporting to music discovery, the variety of work produced by our editorial team strengthens the community of artists whose love for music is mirrored in our work. Yet the recent layoff of our entire art department and a senior editor have further justified our need for better protections as an editorial unit.

We lack job security and have historically been underpaid compared to the industry standard. For years, subcontracted employees have worked full-time hours without health insurance and other basic benefits. Without a direct correlation between performance and compensation, the path to career advancement is unclear. These practices, in conjunction with a longstanding lack of diversity across the staff, poorly reflect our values. To address these concerns, we aim to make permanent a series of commitments from Condé Nast.  

To ensure Pitchfork’s success, we have chosen to unionize with the NewsGuild of New York, who recently organized our colleagues at The New Yorker, and also represent The New York Times, The Washington Post, New York Magazine, and The Los Angeles Times. We are proud to announce today with Ars Technica, a fellow Condé Nast publication that shares our values of collective representation.

As the media landscape grows increasingly unstable and more changes are announced for our website, our position feels especially vulnerable. We are asking Pitchfork’s management and Condé Nast to recognize our union, and we look forward to an amicable and productive collective-bargaining process.

For more information, please head over to the official Pitchfork union Twitter account at http://twitter.com/p4kunion.