Local 2110 Members at HarperCollins Overwhelmingly Ratify New Union Contract

Workers in the Association of HarperCollins Employees, members of UAW Local 2110, voted overwhelmingly to ratify their most recent union contract last week after several months of bargaining. The new contract sets new standards for pay and job protection in the publishing industry. It is the first contract negotiated between the company and the union since the historic strike at HarperCollins that ended with a contract agreement in February 2023.

“This contract is a testament to the solidarity we have built in the HarperCollins Union. We are all proud to continue to set new standards in publishing,” says Caitlin Stamper, Designer, HarperCollins Children’s Books, and union chairperson and bargaining committee member. “We were able to achieve provisions that will provide life changing support to current members, and a more sustainable future for new employees.”

The new three-year agreement includes annual increases to the base salary for all levels of employees covered by the contract and ratification bonuses ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 based on seniority at the company. The new starting salary for the HarperCollins Union workers, effective Jan 1, 2026, is $52,500. It will continue to increase throughout the length of the contract, going up to $55,200 as of Jan 1, 2028. All workers covered by the contract are eligible for overtime pay at time and a half for every hour worked over 35 hours a week, and workers at the beginning of their careers are able to work up to three hours per week of overtime without the prior approval of their supervisors, which brings the lowest annual compensation to $57,000 in year 1 of the contract. 

In addition to new standards of compensation, the contract also includes improvements around severance, parental leave, discipline, and promotions, and expands the contract’s equal rights clause to further protect vulnerable workers from discrimination. 

“The material benefits and community support that come from being in a union in this industry cannot be overstated,” says Sophia Kaufman, Associate Editor, Harper, and union steward and bargaining committee member. “Our union makes our jobs more sustainable. I hope publishing workers at other houses, agencies, and organizations are encouraged to organize their own workplaces to protect themselves and their jobs, and even improve upon the substantial gains we’ve made at HarperCollins.”

HarperCollins employees have had a union for more than 80 years and are part of the Technical, Office and Professional Union UAW Local 2110. Currently, HarperCollins is the only major book publisher in the U.S. to be unionized, though book publishers in other countries have unions and several smaller publishers have organized unions in the last few years.