After more than two years of management slow-walking negotiations, The NewsGuild-CWA (TNG-CWA), which represents Oxford University Press (OUP) workers in the United States,is making plans for a potential strike.
Members of Oxford University Press Union won their election in September 2021, and the bargaining unit covers roughly 150 staff in the New York metropolitan area. While negotiations first started back in February 2022, management at the largest university press in the world has refused to bargain, instead opting to fill U.S. vacancies by sourcing the jobs abroad. Further, workers say that OUP hasn’t offered a fair deal on wages either. Current starting salaries are about $40,000, far from a livable wage for members living in New York City, making it more difficult for people underrepresented in publishing to enter the industry. Workers aren’t deterred by these union-busting tactics, however, and are committed to getting a fair deal, even if it means striking.