The layoffs came two months after BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti announced in an earnings call that the editorial team would be downsizing, cutting between 25 and 50 roles by way of voluntary buyout. At the time, the company was engaged in active contract negotiations with the news division’s union, which the union claimed restricted BuzzFeed’s ability to downsize.
https://www.gawker.com/media/buzzfeed-starts-buyouts