More than 200 workers are on strike at one of the largest publishing houses in the country, and have been for over 50 days. The HarperCollins Union has been on strike since November 10th, 2022, and so far there’s been no word from HarperCollins (HC) regarding any news of an impending settlement. 

Members of the union from all different departments in HC are joining together to fight for their rights as a union. Contract negotiations between the union and HarperCollins began in December 2021, and union members have been working since April 2022 without a contract. 

While part of the fight is for livable wages and union protections, a big part of the reason the union is on strike is because they want more diversity. They’re focused on making publishing a more diverse and equitable place that reflects their values and the books that they make. 

Ceo of HarperCollins Brian Murray responded to the demands for higher wages by pointing out that the current wages were similar to other big publishing companies, and he also pointed out that the employees receive “a minimum of six and a half weeks paid time off for all full-time employees (increasing with tenure), four 'work from anywhere' weeks, overtime pay for those qualifying, and generous health and wellness benefits”. He also says the proposed changes don’t account for market dynamics of the industry or meet the financial demands of all their employees, authors, and booksellers.