Just curious: what are the New Yorkers "notoriously poor business fundamentals"? Haven't they been one of the most long-running, profitable print magazines in America?

The reduced flexibility worries me far more than the cost. I've worked in union workplaces. There's always some instances of doing nothing (or doing busy work) because the nobody who's allowed to do whatever needs to be done is available and the other people who could do it won't because they're not allowed to do that job. When that happens regularly there's ripples through the workplace culture and work ethic and quality nose dive. I hope the union treads lightly and carefully. If they go full on public transit rail-workers union on day one it's gonna end badly.