Wednesday, 29 April 2026 Books+Publishing @booksandpublishing
A supermajority of 600 Hachette Book Group employees in the US and Canada have signed to join a union, and launched the Hachette Workers Coalition (HWC), reports Publishers Weekly (PW).
The Hachette employees have pledged to join Washington-Baltimore NewsGuild-CWA Local 32035, and the HWC would become the largest union in trade publisher history, reported PW.
HWC stated, “For too long, Hachette employees have been forced to accept substandard working conditions, overwhelming workloads, and compensation not commensurate with the exceptional success and growth that workers have brought HBG. It is time to unionise to create an equitable and dignified workplace where workers can flourish.”
PW reported Hachette had 8 days as of 27 April to voluntarily recognise the HWC, thereby avoiding “a lengthier legal process” with the National Labor Relations Board.
Among the Big Five publishers in the US, HWC joins the Association of HarperCollins Employees, which encompasses 180 staffers, said PW.
Category: International news