Condé Nast and the NewsGuild of New York have quietly put a lid on one of Manhattan’s loudest newsroom fights of the year, cutting a deal that the union says clears the names of staffers fired or suspended after a now-infamous hallway clash with human resources last November.
Under the settlement, three of the four employees who were dismissed are restored to employee status on paper and receive a combined six-figure payout, according to the union. Five others who were suspended get back pay and have disciplinary marks wiped from their records, the guild says. The agreement effectively ends months of public sparring between Condé management and its organized editorial workers and turns a high-drama internal showdown into a closed case on the labor front.
Union frames the deal as a vindication
In a press release, The NewsGuild of New York said Condé Nast "illegally terminated" four union leaders and suspended five others after they gathered in a hallway to demand answers about layoffs and the consolidation of Teen Vogue. The guild says three of the fired staffers — Alma Avalle, Ben Dewey and Jasper Lo — were reinstated "in good standing," awarded letters of recommendation and granted a combined payout of more than $400,000. The union added that the five suspended employees will receive back pay and have their disciplinary records expunged.
Company disputes the union's account
Condé Nast told staff in an internal memo that the resolution "allows all parties to move forward constructively" and that "both parties expressly denied wrongdoing and liability," according to The Washington Post. The company said the affected employees accepted severance and will not be returning as active staff, and it warned that formerly suspended employees are "on notice" that similar conduct could prompt future discipline. Condé Nast argued that this corporate account differs from the union's characterization of reinstatements and expunged records.
How the dispute began
The episode dates to Nov. 5, 2025, when editorial staffers confronted the company's head of human resources in its Manhattan offices about layoffs at WIRED and the consolidation of Teen Vogue. The exchange was captured on video and widely circulated. By the following day Condé Nast had fired four employees and suspended five others, prompting the union to file grievances and unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. TheWrap and other outlets covered the episode as it unfolded.
Who took the deal — and who didn't
The Washington Post reported that Avalle, Dewey and Lo accepted settlement terms that converted their dismissals into voluntary resignations and included financial compensation and positive letters of recommendation. Jake Lahut, the fourth dismissed employee, rejected a smaller offer and is continuing his unfair labor practice case before the NLRB; he had been a probationary employee at the time of his firing. Outlets such as Nieman Lab have noted that the incident has become a touchstone in broader newsroom fights over "just cause" protections and management discipline.
Legal note
According to The NewsGuild of New York, the union filed grievances and unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board following the firings. Coverage of the settlement points out that private deals commonly resolve claims without a formal NLRB ruling, which can leave open questions about precedent and enforcement even when workers receive remedies.
Why it matters for newsrooms
The agreement highlights how visible, organized protests inside newsrooms can translate into leverage in bargaining and in legal challenges over discipline. Observers and industry reporting suggest the case could strengthen unions' negotiating positions at other outlets as publishers juggle layoffs and restructurings in a tight media market.
On paper the immediate conflict is resolved: the union calls the outcome a win, while Condé Nast says the matter is closed under the settlement terms. The hallway showdown, however, leaves wider questions hanging over workplace discipline and the limits of protest inside Manhattan newsrooms, and those questions are likely to be watched closely by both labor organizers and media executives.
