Oxford University Press has laid off its U.S./North America design team and U.S. content transformation and standards team, per a release from OUP USA Guild, the union representing OUP employees in the United States. The layoffs, the guild said, include 13 members of its bargaining unit, and come three weeks after the union ratified its first collective bargaining agreement.

The guild, which is part of Local 31222 of the NewsGuild-Communications Workers of America and represents roughly 150 employees across departments at the press, has filed a grievance in response to the layoffs, per the release. The guild asserts that the layoffs “violate the CBA’s jurisdiction article, which protects historic union work from being relocated out of the unit, and the layoffs article,” and demands that “OUP immediately reverse this disastrous decision and reinstate these roles.”

In a statement to PW, a representative of OUP said, “We are implementing changes to our business that unfortunately impact some of our team based in the US, some of which are Guild members.” The statement continued: “Like many organizations, we have to adapt how we work so that we are best-placed to achieve our mission and future ambitions. We are grateful to all of those affected for their contributions and quality of their work over the years.”

The news follows the April layoff of former OUP strategy and transformation coordinator and unit chair Scott Morales, which the guild also condemned, as well as a strike held in June. The guild had threatened a strike since March as negotiations over a new contract, which began in February 2022, drag on, and has alleged that the publisher has violated U.S. labor law on multiple occasions.

In a previous statement to PW, a representative of OUP asserted that “we continue to negotiate in good faith with the Guild,” adding: “We are confident that we have acted—and will continue to act—in compliance with U.S. labor law, and in accordance with our management rights.” OUP did not respond to request for comments by press time.