NLRB certifies Hachette workers’ union after 388-130 vote

The National Labor Relations Board has certified Washington-Baltimore News Guild Local 32035 as the bargaining representative for a defined group of Hachette Book Group employees, moving the organizing campaign from an election result into the next stage: preparation for a first contract.

The NLRB issued its Certification of Representative on July 15, 2026, in case 02-RC-385989. That followed a July 7 secret-ballot tally in which 388 employees voted for the union and 130 voted against it. The agency listed 654 eligible voters, 549 counted ballots and one void ballot.

What certification changes

Certification establishes the union as the official bargaining representative for employees in the covered unit. Hachette must bargain with that representative over a collective-bargaining agreement.

It does not immediately change workers’ wages, benefits, staffing rules or other workplace terms. No first contract has been completed, and certification alone does not establish what the eventual agreement will contain.

Publishers Weekly reported that Hachette said it recognizes the certified election result, respects employees’ decision and intends to bargain in good faith. That describes the company’s stated position; it does not show that negotiations have already begun or guarantee that bargaining will be free of disputes.

Who is covered

The certified unit is tied to Hachette’s New York-based operation and covers specified full-time and regular part-time employees. The NLRB’s definition includes multiple exclusions, so the certification does not represent every Hachette employee.

The excluded categories include executive and senior management, human resources employees, attorneys in the legal department, temporary employees, interns, contractors, professional and confidential employees, guards, supervisors and managers. The record also excludes specified groups connected with Hachette’s Indiana distribution center and fulfillment and distribution operations.

Workers outside the defined unit are not automatically represented by Local 32035 because of this election.

What comes next

The Washington-Baltimore News Guild and Hachette workers said the next steps include electing unit-level leadership and preparing for negotiations. The NewsGuild said workers would organize their bargaining effort and develop priorities for a first contract.

Union and participating workers have described priorities including better benefits, stronger workplace protections, equity, transparency and greater employee input. Those are organizing priorities, not terms agreed to by Hachette.

The milestones to watch are the selection of union leaders, meetings between the union and management, the start and pace of bargaining, and any eventual tentative agreement submitted to workers for approval. Until an agreement is reached and ratified, existing pay, benefits and workplace rules generally remain in place unless changed through another lawful process.

Sources

• National Labor Relations Board election record
• Publishers Weekly report