Unions representing employees at Sports Illustrated are suing The Arena Group over alleged labor violations. The Arena Group is the parent company of Sports Illustrated, and company management laid off numerous employees in January. The layoffs affected over a hundred workers, and the company stated it was due to large debts and the inability to sustain the magazine’s current budget. Sports Illustrated workers are represented by the Sports Illustrated Union and the NewsGuild of New York. The two unions jointly filed charges and the charges claimed that all the employees affected by layoffs were union members, while non-unionized managers and supervisors were not affected. Several employees were given notice before the layoffs occurred. Under New York state law, companies must provide at least a 90-day notice to employees regarding layoffs.
See "Sports Illustrated Union and The NewsGuild of New York file labor violations against The Arena Group after recent layoffs affected numerous unionized employees", Jordan Mendoza, USA Today, February 2, 2024