OUP lays off US union leader amid ongoing dispute

Oxford University Press (OUP) US has laid off union leader Scott Morales amid an ongoing dispute about wages and working conditions. The publisher has said the layoff was a "business decision" unrelated to Morales’ role in the union. 

The union – known as the OUP USA Guild – commenced negotiations with the publisher in February 2022. In March 2024, members threatened to strike over ongoing contract negotiations. In an announcement regarding Morales’ layoff released this week (18th April), the guild said that it is preparing to strike in the “near future”.

Morales, the guild’s unit chair and OUP’s strategy and transformation co-ordinator, was, according to the union, laid off effective immediately. He had worked at the press for more than 15 years.

The guild said that “as the unit chair, he has been an unstoppable force of organising, inspiring leadership, advocacy, humour and humility. His unjustified layoff hurts him, the guild, the company, and, of course, his family, including his wife and daughter.” The union alleges the layoff is illegal and “reeks of retaliation".

It alleges that OUP did not bargain with the guild prior to Morales’ layoff or claim any economic justification for the decision. The guild says it is already in the process of filing an unfair labour practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

Responding to the claims, an OUP spokesperson told The Bookseller: “The decision to remove the role in question was a business decision, unrelated to any economic reason or the individual’s role with the Guild. We continue to negotiate in good faith with the guild.

“We would also like to clarify that although the guild has raised claims with the National Labor Relations Board as they are entitled to do, no final decision regarding the charges has been made, and we are confident that we have acted – and will continue to act – in compliance with US Labor Law, and in accordance with our management rights.”