Worker Feud Bubbles Over at People.com
by Lucia Moses
A feud over staffing issues at People came to a head this week as the magazine’s union accused the publication of overworking its editorial staffers—a spat that could have wider repercussions at the company.
The Newspaper Guild of New York claims that People has been violating a 2007 agreement with Time Inc. stating that Guild employees may not be required to work for the companion Web site and that if they do, the work will be voluntary and the employees’ workload should be adjusted accordingly.
As part of the settlement, Time Inc. admitted no wrongdoing, according to the agreement.
Witnesses for both sides testified in arbitration this week, and briefs are due in two weeks.
The case centers on People.com’s busy Los Angeles bureau, but it could have wider impact. The 2007 agreement applied to not just People.com but the Web sites of Time, Fortune, Money and Sports Illustrated, the other Time Inc. properties that have Guild representation.
Local guild rep Bob Townsend said that while the agreement violations were the most extreme in L.A., “I’ve heard more rumblings, and I’ve heard it might exist in New York, too.”
People, owned by publishing giant Time Inc., has often been held up as a rare example story of a magazine that has successfully translated its brand to the Web. The case is bubbling up as Time Inc. prepares to cut hundreds of employees from its ranks to reduce costs.
Townsend said the Guild is asking for the agreement to be enforced.
“Nobody in L.A. doesn’t want to do the work,” he said. “But they’re working outrageous hours. They’re working their tails off, and they don’t get any compensation for it.”
Asked for a response, a People rep said, “We do not comment on specific Guild-management issues.”
