Hearst Workers Are Organizing but They May Already Have a Union

An effort to unionize hundreds of Hearst Magazine editorial workers at outlets like Esquire and Popular Mechanics hit a potentially significant roadblock with the discovery that the employees already may be represented by another union that’s been around for decades.

The odd twist emerged after a union called the Hearst International Employees Association filed to intervene in the Writers Guild of America, East’s highly publicized organizing effort at the company’s 24 magazine brands.

News of the existing union comes amid vigorous actions from Hearst opposing WGAE’s organizing drive. The company set up a website about “what it really means to ...