Most QVC hosts have voted in favor of unionizing, according to SAG-AFTRA, as the West Chester-based shopping network prepares to emerge from bankruptcy.
About 80% of the hosts voted in favor of joining SAG-AFTRA, according to a news release from the union, which represents 160,000 media professionals nationwide.
The group includes 53 on-air hosts who sell clothes, home goods, and other products from QVC Group’s West Chester studios. The programs are broadcast on QVC, HSN, and various digital platforms, a segment of the business the company refers to Omni Channel.
“The strong show of support for unionizing reflects QVC, HSN and Omni Channel hosts’ professionalism and resolve to improve their workplace and build a better future for themselves and their colleagues,” SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said in a statement.
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A QVC Group spokesperson reiterated that the hosts are “deeply valued team members.”
“While we have long believed that a direct relationship with team members is the best approach, we respect the outcome of the election and our hosts’ right to make this choice,” spokesperson Matthew Goldstein said Friday in a statement, adding that management “will work with SAG-AFTRA on the next steps.”
The vote comes a month after a supermajority of QVC’s TV and digital hosts presented a petition to company management, asking for voluntary recognition of the union.
In the petition, the hosts expressed concerns about QVC using artificial intelligence to imitate their image, voice, and likeness without consent or compensation, as well as about pay equity and transparency.
“As QVC Inc. adapts, we hope to foster a culture in which workers feel valued, trusted, and appreciated, where ideas are recognized and concerns respected,” the hosts wrote in the petition. “This is especially true given the current landscape of artificial intelligence, discussions surrounding the regulation of image and likeness, and concerns of job security.”
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Despite developing a loyal following of fans over 40 years, QVC has struggled recently to expand its customer base and compete with online retailers. After years of declining revenue, QVC Group filed for Chapter 11 protection in April.
A federal judge last week approved the company’s reorganization plan, which would slash its debt from about $6.6 billion to $1.3 billion. QVC executives have said they hope to emerge from bankruptcy sometime this summer.
