Testimonials

Holly Mitchell, Assistant Editor, Academic: “I support the OUP NYC union because uniting our workforce gives us a real opportunity to negotiate for what matters to us: security for our jobs and the quality of our work in the face of business changes; diversity efforts for recruitment, promotion, retention, and representation; and good, fair wages for employees in New York and those working remotely.”

Robert Cavooris, Assistant Editor, Reference: “OUP employees need a voice in our workplace. Decisions about compensation, layoffs, the organization of departments and job duties—these things affect our lives profoundly, so we need to have a seat at the table to ensure that our interests are represented.”

Rachel Perkins, Lead Designer: “I’ve seen the benefits of unions in my own family, growing up with both my mom and stepmom supporting their households thanks to the steady protection of lasting union jobs that provided training opportunities, clear structures and expectations, and good benefits. In my own experience, in a past union job I was able to access training and certification opportunities that I’ve never seen non-union workplaces invest in.

I see how our unionized OUP colleagues in the UK have a real voice in negotiations about workplace changes, and I think OUP will become a better place to work at when we have this real empowerment in the US as well.”

Mark O’Malley, Senior Production Editor: “In a non-unionized workplace, there is no true representation for employees, and legitimate concerns are not properly addressed. With a union that represents workers’ interests, there will be a means for fair arbitration.

I also believe that unionized workers who are secure in their jobs and who are involved in the decisions that guide the direction of the press are more likely to feel connected to OUP’s mission. In addition, having more diversity in the decision making will bring about new and creative ideas to deliver high-quality resources for learners in a global market.”

Scott Morales, Strategy and Transformation Coordinator: “As someone whose position was recently eliminated due to attrition / “reorganization” (although I’m still at OUP in another role), I can say that the frequent reorgs often seem poorly communicated, poorly executed, and made seemingly without much foresight. I’ve heard people from across the Press bemoan the decline of quality of work and the OUP brand since we’ve begun slashing jobs/outsourcing/transferring work. 

These reorganizations and layoffs will continue to happen until we have a voice at the bargaining table. Even then, if a staffing adjustment is deemed necessary, our union will be able to negotiate the terms of severance to ensure a fair outcome for our affected colleagues and protect the rights of the employees who are left to cover their workload.

Our union will work as a partner of management, not as an adversary. Many of us (myself included) love OUP! We simply want to make OUP a better place to work for its employees, and the only real way to accomplish this is to organize under a democratically elected union.”

Isabelle Prince, Assistant Editor, Academic: “A union at OUP will help employees advocate for ourselves, earn a fair salary, protect our mental health, and identify paths for advancement. The company often scolds employees for working unpaid overtime (because unpaid overtime is illegal) without offering realistic solutions to foster a healthy work–life balance. A union can help ensure that the workload we’re expected to handle is fairly distributed. 

The types of layoffs and re-org changes we’ve seen at OUP always lead to overworked employees: the remaining people are expected to “fill the gap” and complete the work of multiple people with little or no change in compensation. A union will give employees a voice in staffing adjustments and protect the rights of its members.”

Brad Rosenkrantz, Senior Production Editor: “I see union recognition as the path forward in building a stronger and more engaged workforce at OUP. We should all be working together to create a more secure, more equitable workplace for all OUP employees, and a union gives everyone a voice in that effort.

Treating employees fairly with respect to pay, job responsibilities, and other issues is the best way to inspire excellence from those charged to carry out OUP’s mission, and a unionized workplace is a critical part of this.

We deserve a seat at the table in making important company decisions that will affect the most important resource OUP has: its workers. I believe a union for US employees can help lay a foundation for OUP to thrive in a changing world.”

Addy Colebaugh, Marketing Assistant, Higher Ed: “By supporting the union effort I am working to create better working conditions for myself and all my OUP NYC colleagues. Our union will help me advocate for the value I am providing, thus leading to fair compensation.

I am looking forward to having a say in my future, my colleagues’ futures, and the future of OUP!”

Bronwyn Geyer, Editorial Assistant, Academic: “I love this company, and I want the strong legacy of OUP to continue for centuries to come. It is my hope that a union will help standardize job responsibilities in a way that ensures equity, fosters learning, and creates opportunities for advancement.”

Hannah Doyle, Assistant Editor, Academic: “I support the union because I am proud to work at OUP but feel strongly that all OUP employees need to be compensated fairly for their work. I want support staff, those in entry-level positions, and all those presently without bargaining power or security in their jobs to at last have those things.

I want to see the entire publishing industry change—for it no longer to be an industry whose workforce is primarily from privileged, affluent backgrounds—and I believe that our union can help OUP be at the forefront of this change.”

Alyssa Palazzo, Editor, Higher Ed: “I’m so lucky to have colleagues who would move mountains to help one another. Oxford gave me my first “real” job right out of college, and I never left, because I love my coworkers. When I saw the opportunity to participate in a union, I jumped at it, because I knew it would improve things for everyone.

OUP’s union will help ensure that male and female employees are treated equally and that there are consequences for managers who fail to do so. The union will allow us to hold management accountable for both prioritizing diversity among our staff and addressing workplace issues and disputes in a timely manner. By representing the interests of OUP’s workers, our union will help create better working conditions with fewer instances of burnout.

So often at OUP, we’re told that decisions are made “in the best interests of the company,” but once we have a seat at the table to represent employees’ concerns, OUP’s management will find that we can be a stronger, more cohesive business with everyone’s interests at heart.”

Jenny Doster, Content Architect: “I have been fortunate in my career at OUP to work with great managers and great colleagues, but not everyone has been as lucky. I started as an editorial assistant right out of college, and I want us to have the power as union members to ensure that others beginning their career in the same situation are treated with respect like I was, rather than being exploited, sexually harassed, or marginalized—an all-too-common experience in our organization and our industry.

A respectful workplace shouldn’t come down to luck! I want the benefits of real diversity to come to OUP, but change takes hard work, genuine investment, and true accountability, not just lip service. Our union will push for real change. If we keep doing what we’ve been doing, we will continue to see the same outcome: a workforce that is overwhelmingly white and privileged.”

Alan Goldberg, Demand Planner: “The workers at OUP should have a voice in deciding the direction of the Press and in how we put its mission into action. Right now it feels like I have no power and no say in my working environment, and everything is decided by managers in the UK. A year ago my department was told there would be a restructure, but my day-to-day is more or less the same, apart from a heavier workload due to layoffs and outsourcing.

A union will give our workers a stronger voice in how things can be run more equitably. With a union, we will have input on key decisions that affect our working lives. I also hope the union and management can partner to bring about real change at OUP, including more diversity at all levels of the company and more room for growth.”

Mark Longaker, Development Editor, Law: “As a long-time employee of OUP, I am proud to stand with the majority of my colleagues in supporting the OUP USA Guild. Having a union will give us a real voice on important issues, including ensuring an equitable workload and compensation, a more diverse and inclusive workplace, and greater input into decisions that directly affect our careers and working lives at OUP.

I really believe the union will be beneficial for both the employees of the Press and the Press as a whole. By working with us, OUP’s leaders have the opportunity to take the lead in making publishing a better career option for today’s employees as well as the next generation of workers.”