The publishing industry is very white—79% as of 2016. One way to change that might be to unionize publishing workforces, argues J.C. Pan at The Nation. Pan cites the unionization of The New Press, where workers included an affirmative-action clause in their negotiated contract. Unions aren’t the only solution since workers still need to value diversity enough to negotiate it into their contracts, but collective bargaining can help bring about change.
Can Unions Diversify Publishing?
Ian MacAllen
Ian MacAllen is the author of Red Sauce: How Italian Food Became American (Rowman & Littlefield, April 2022). His writing has appeared in Chicago Review of Books, Southern Review of Books, The Offing, 45th Parallel Magazine, Little Fiction, Vol 1. Brooklyn, and elsewhere. He tweets @IanMacAllen and is online at IanMacAllen.com.