The Conde Nast Union was ready to protest at the Met Gala, the haute fashion ball run by the publishing house’s most senior editor, Anna Wintour.
But the demonstration was called off at the 11th hour after the union negotiated some new terms for its members, thus avoiding a scene at the A-List event, which would have seen celebrities having to cross a picket line.
The members had signs with some great Wintour burns ready to unleash outside the bash at the Metropolitan Museum posted to the union’s Instagram page like, “Anna’s dress costs more than my annual salary,” and “Anna Wintour can spend $77 on a caprese salad every day, but it’s the workers who have to cut costs?”
(Anna’s regular lunch order, revealed in Amy Odell’s book “Anna,” is a Caprese salad and steak from The Palm, costing $77.33 with tip.)
One said, “The Devil Wears Sunglasses when she’s laying you off,” a reference to the time in January when the CN chief content officer reportedly wore shades when canning staffers from its digital music title, Pitchfork.
Still another said that health care is considered too expensive by the brand, but “sure, let Anna have her party.”
The Met Gala avoided mayhem Monday when CN finally reached a deal with the union at 3AM the day of the high-profile event.
The union represents members of the fashion mag Vogue as well as other publications like Vanity Fair, GQ, Glamour, Bon Appétit, and Architectural Digest. They were also threatening to strike.
A rep for the union would neither confirm nor deny the picket plan, telling us, “As unions we always have multiple plans in place. We had a plan to do whatever it takes – which we did not need thanks to the tentative agreement.”
The tentative agreement promises a $61,500 starting salary floor; “expanded bereavement leave, two more weeks of family leave (14 total) and $3.3 million in total wage increases.”
Stan Duncan, Condé Nast’s chief people officer, told Page Six in a statement, “We are happy to have a contract that reflects and supports our core values – our content and journalism; our commitment to diversity and professional development; our industry-leading hiring practices; and our competitive wages and benefits. We look forward to the ratification of the contract by its members.”
This weekend, the Conde union protested alongside the Model Alliance outside the Met Museum for the Fashion Workers Act, which would regulate New York’s model management agencies.
About a week ago, union members picketed outside of Wintour’s house with fliers raging, “Anna wears Prada; workers get nada.”
In January, Anne Hathaway walked out of a Vanity Fair cover shoot when members of her union, SAG-AFTRA, joined a one-day walk out in solidarity with unionized Condé staffers. Sources told Page Six at the time that “The Devil Wears Prada” star was in hair and makeup when she pulled the plug on the photo session after a call from SAG.
They have been working on a deal for a year. Last year, they put out of fiery statement before the Met Gala, also known as the Oscars of Fashion, saying the event’s “sparkle comes from our sweat.”
“Behind the cameras, there are hundreds of Vogue workers who are underpaid, undervalued, and overworked,” said the statement.
