▁Although ▁some ▁intern s ▁had ▁been ▁paid , ▁the ▁court ▁granted ▁conditional ▁cert ification ▁of ▁the ▁collect ive ▁action . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁a ▁federal ▁judge ▁ruled ▁that ▁not ices ▁could ▁be ▁sent ▁to ▁un pa id ▁intern s ▁throughout ▁the ▁company ▁who ▁could ▁potentially ▁want ▁to ▁join ▁the ▁law suit . ▁A ▁federal ▁judge ▁later ▁found ▁that ▁the ▁claims ▁of ▁intern s ▁who ▁joined ▁the ▁suit ▁as ▁pla int iffs ▁were ▁outside ▁the ▁stat ute ▁of ▁limitations . ▁ ▁On ▁March ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁a ▁federal ▁judge ▁ruled ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁G aw ker , ▁not ing ▁that ▁the ▁pla int iff ▁had ▁correctly ▁been ▁de emed ▁an ▁intern ▁instead ▁of ▁an ▁employee ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁primary ▁benef ici ary ▁of ▁his ▁relationship ▁with ▁G aw ker ▁Media . ▁ ▁Union ization ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁G aw ker ▁editor ial ▁staff ▁voted ▁to ▁union ize . ▁Emp loy ees ▁joined ▁the ▁Writ ers ▁Gu ild ▁of ▁America , ▁East . ▁Appro xim ately ▁three - four th s ▁of ▁employees ▁el ig ible ▁to ▁vote ▁voted ▁in ▁favor ▁of ▁the ▁decision . ▁G aw ker ▁staff ▁announced ▁the ▁vote ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 8 , ▁ 2 0 1 5 . ▁ ▁Cond é ▁N ast ▁executive ▁prost itution ▁claims ▁In ▁July ▁ 2 0 1 5 , ▁G aw ker ▁staff ▁writer ▁Jordan ▁S argent ▁published ▁an ▁article ▁attempting ▁to ▁" out "