What changes are the union asking for?

• Higher pay (commensurate with HarperCollins’ record-setting and massive profits, and commensurate with the impact of inflation and the NYC cost of living as workers are brought back into the office)
  • Starting salaries are often what make or break a young marginalized person’s ability to remain in their chosen field, and publishing’s starting salaries are notoriously low. It’s also important to remember that in publishing, folks are rarely (if ever) getting raises and that even cost of living adjustments are few and far between. I know my readers who work in media, nonprofits, and academia can sympathize!
• A greater commitment from management to diversifying staff (since publishing as a whole remains primarily white, primarily upper-middle-class, primarily cishet, etc)
  • You can learn more about the current state of diversity in publishing from the Lee and Low Diversity Baseline Survey. The last survey was conducted in 2019, and the results are stark. You can read more of their in-depth analysis here.
• Stronger union protections to ensure the security and sustainability of collective bargaining at HarperCollins (since the union has made massive strides over the last couple years and they want to ensure the union’s continued existence so that none of these gains are at risk of being walked back or undermined)

What does this mean?

I spoke to some of the LGBTQ+ workers who will be participating in the strike (including some who helped organize it!), and here’s what they said about how this opportunity could benefit queer book workers and the queer stories they champion:

• “This was the first time I felt like I had a job where I could be out at work from day 1 and that I am well-liked and respected because I am queer, not in spite of it. We’ve built a real community for each other here, and I think the company fails to recognize how creating opportunities for workers to build community (like unions) makes for a better workplace for everyone. This contract fight is, for all of us, about doing what is right for those of us who need it the most. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can make a place that is more equitable and just.” — Union Unit Chair
• “Every day I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to work on queer books for queer kids — the kinds of books I wish I had when I was younger, and the kinds of books I am eternally grateful will exist in the world for my queer stepkid. Striking is not an easy thing to do. It’s not what we wish we were doing. But we are withholding our labor, withholding our power, and withholding our passion from a company that completely undervalues us in an effort to materially change the conditions of our company and our industry. A successful strike will mean that the barriers for entry in this industry will be lower. It means that more queer people and more people of color will be able to join the ranks of book publishing and put out incredible books that reflect who are are and who the world is. I’m grateful to be queer in books, and I’m looking forward to making HarperCollins see just how vital we are.” — Marketing Associate
• “The more that people can’t afford to live off of publishing wages, the more that the book publishing world will remain for those with more privileges than any of us will see in a life time. It’s important because they’re going to lose not only the inclusive voices inside the company, but also those we publish. I think the more we lose diversity in the company, the more the catalog of books we publish will lose as well.” — Senior Designer
• “Making sure queer books end up in the hands of queer kids is the whole reason I’m in this industry. Historically, only people with privilege can afford to stick around in publishing. This translates to young, passionate workers who are committed to uplifting diverse authors burning out and leaving those authors behind in order to survive. In a more sustainable and fair industry, a marginalized author would have room to build a career with a specific team, and marginalized employees would no longer have to make the choice between passion and pay (and could instead devote their whole focus to publishing and advocating for diverse books!)” — Associate Editor

How can you show support?

• Email Bryan Murray at peopleteam@harpercollins.com to express your support for the union’s proposed contract
• Share the message on social media (there are designed graphics linked here, and there are more to choose from here!) with the hashtag #HCPOnStrike
• Donate to the strike fund that will financially support striking workers if an agreement can’t be reached
• (I also want to note here that the union is NOT calling for a boycott at this time)

That’s all she wrote, folks! If you’re a queer writer, particularly an early-career queer writer: I’d love to hear about the cool things you’re up to so that I can share links to your published essays, book reviews, short stories, poems, and longform features on LGBTQ+ topics! Please email me links for consideration at yashwina@autostraddle.com with the subject line “Rainbow Reading Submission” — I’m an avid browser-tab-collector, and I especially want to hear from you if you’ve just landed your first publication or first major byline.