Met Gala proceeds as planned after Condé Nast reaches union deal with workers

The 2024 Met Gala is set to proceed as planned Monday after averting a strike.

On the eve of the big event, Condé Nast union workers demanding a “fair contract” threatened to strike if a deal was not met. The Met Gala is hosted every year by Condé Nast’s Global Chief Content Officer Anna Wintour.

But hours before the event, Condé Nast Union said an agreement had been reached.

“We are excited to announce that we have a tentative agreement with Condé Nast on our first contract. Our pledge to do ‘whatever it takes’ ahead of the #MetGala2024 moved the company and our progress at the bargaining table kicked into high gear,” Conde Nast Union posted on X.

This comes after months of negotiations failed to produce the first labor contract for the company's employees.

The deal includes terms for workers who were laid off, granting them severance, the choice of COBRA coverage or a one-time lump sum payment, and an additional $1,000, among other things.

Official signing of the deal will take place this week.

Before an agreement was settled, Condé Nast Union threatened, “Meet us at the table, or we’ll meet you at the Met.”

Long hailed as “fashion’s biggest night out,” the Met Gala happens every year on the first Monday in May.

The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Celebrities will hit the carpet in lavish and creative designs interpreting this year’s theme.

The 2024 Met Gala will celebrate the Costume Institute’s new exhibition, “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” with the official dress code being “The Garden of Time.” The exhibit will display pieces from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection, showcasing 400 years of fashion history, according to Vogue.

Viewers can expect to see many floral and botanical designs grace the carpet, though the theme can be interpreted in a variety of ways.

While all eyes will be on what celebrities and influencers will be wearing, the event is primarily a fundraiser for the museum.

Co-chairs of this year’s event include Anna Wintour, Bad Bunny, Jennifer Lopez, Zendaya and Chris Hemsworth.

Last year, the Met Gala honored late designer Karl Lagerfeld.