Condé Nast has reached a settlement with The NewsGuild of New York over the firing and suspension of unionized employees who took part in a November 2025 “march on the boss,” six months after staffers were dismissed following a filmed confrontation with the company’s head of HR over recent layoffs, TheWrap has learned.
On Nov. 5, 2025, editorial staff confronted the company’s head of HR over layoffs at several brands, including Wired and Teen Vogue, and followed him down a hallway while he directed them to go back to work. The encounter quickly grew tense, with the executive attempting to leave as union members continued pressing him to respond — portions of the exchange were captured on video and later leaked to the media.
The following day, four union members — Bon Appétit’s Alma Avalle, Condé Nast Entertainment’s Ben Dewey, Wired’s Jake Lahut and The New Yorker’s Jasper Lo — were fired. Five other union members were suspended over conduct the company said “violated company policies.”
At the time, the union denounced the dismissals as unlawful disciplinary actions, alleging they violated both contractual “just cause” protections and federal labor law guaranteeing employees the right to engage in protected concerted activity. It also launched a public campaign in support of the employees, who became known internally as “the Fired Four.” The NewsGuild filed grievances and unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board shortly after the firings and suspensions.
Now, nearly six months after the incident, the union has reached a settlement with Condé Nast over the disciplinary action. Under the agreement, announced Wednesday, Avalle, Dewey and Lo, were reinstated in good standing, awarded financial settlements totaling more than $400,000 and given letters of recommendation, with all disciplinary records expunged. The three later chose to resign, with their status ultimately changed from termination to voluntary resignation.
“Our fight as a union is about more than a single contract; it is about ensuring workers’ rights to a just workplace,” Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York, said. “When employers attempt to undermine our rights, we will organize, fight back, and hold them accountable. This settlement sends a forceful message: workers united in solidarity have the power to push back against bully union-busting bosses and demand their workplaces be governed by respect rather than fear.”
Lahut, the remaining “Fired Four” member, took to social media sharing that he decided not to accept Condé Nast’s offer and will be “looking forward” to his day in court. At the time of his dismissal, Lahut was a probationary employee and not yet covered under contractual “just cause” provisions, though the union has an active unfair labor practice charge pending with the NLRB on his behalf.
Some personal news, as they say:
I’m so stoked for the rest of the Fired Four getting this deal. Conde is giving them nearly two years of backpay.
They offered me 4 months. In the absence of a serious offer, I’m looking forward to my day in court.https://t.co/05MzbD6f4v
— Jake Lahut (@JakeLahut) May 27, 2026
“We fought because we had to, because so much of an equitable future as workers and journalists depends on our combined efforts to resist inhumane treatment,” Lo said in a statement. “Not only can we stand up for what’s right, but we can also set the tone for what is acceptable in a workplace.”
The settlement also addressed the five suspended employees, who were awarded back pay for the duration of their unpaid suspensions and had all disciplinary records cleared.
“The unpaid suspensions added another layer of egregious, illegal retaliation to this situation,” Lily Newman, a senior writer at Wired, said. “It is heartening that this settlement removes the discipline from my and my colleagues’ records and furnishes backpay.”
