2022–2023 HarperCollins strike

On July 20, about 100 union members staged a one-day strike to protest the company, picketing outside their headquarters at 195 Broadway.

In October, union members voted by an overwhelming majority to authorize an open-ended strike, which commenced with picketing on November 10.

From the beginning of the strike, many notable authors, such as Alexander Chee and Lauren Groff, voiced their support for the strikers, and on December 8, about 500 authors signed a letter to executives of the company urging them to negotiate an end to the strike, with many saying they would not be considering the company for publishing any of their works during the labor dispute.

The agreement, which would run until December 31, 2025, included, among other things, a gradual increase in starting salaries from $45,000 to $50,000 by 2025, changes to overtime and remote work regulations, and a one-time bonus payment of $1,500 to union members.

Union members and several publications also expressed the opinion that the results of the strike could have repercussions for the entire publishing industry, as several other companies agreed to raise their starting salaries around the same time.

[3] In 2021, about 250 employees were members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 2110,[2][4] a labor union representing a fraction of the company's total global workforce of about 4,000.

[4][5] According to a report by PEN America issued around this time, careers in the publishing industry continued to be disproportionately represented by white people,[10] with diversity decreasing among management and other senior positions.

[2][4] The Guardian reported on one instance of an employee hired in 2016 with a starting salary of $33,500, which they said was "well below a livable wage in New York City".

[5][13] By November 9, Brudastova said that the firings were "disheartening" and further stated, "Late last week, the company communicated to us over email that they are not interested in scheduling more bargaining sessions and are rejecting our latest proposal.

[5][13] In response, a spokesperson for the company stated, "HarperCollins has agreed to a number of proposals that the United Auto Workers Union is seeking to include in a new contract.

[2] The planned strike came amidst a nationwide surge in support for labor unions, with about 71 percent of the country expressing a positive view of them, the highest percentage since 1965.

[2][5] Many of the signs, which were created during a union session in Brooklyn's Prospect Park, contained puns based on books published by HarperCollins, such as "Where The Wild Things Are Underpaid" and "If you give a mouse a fair contract".

[18] However, on January 31, several days before the two sides were to commence with mediation, the company announced that they would be cutting 5 percent of their North American workforce, citing continuing cost-cutting measures as with their firings last year.

[20][21] Reporting on the deal, The Washington Post stated that the union was expected to submit the details of the agreement to its members the following day and would schedule a vote later that week.

[22] Lasting about 3 months,[16] the strike was the longest in Local 2110's history,[23] and in general, the terms of the contract were viewed favorably by the union members.