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Failed negotiations prompted a pre-planned strike at a major newspaper just in time to impact Election Day coverage: “They have left us no choice…”

Monday in New York City, 600 members of the New York Times Tech Guild walked off the job at 9 a.m. as their demands had yet to be met by management. Including engineers, designers, and product managers, employees from throughout the back-end systems of the Gray Lady went as far as to tease how the newspaper’s election needle was at risk if they remained unsatisfied.

“We are on ULP (unfair labor practices) strike. We gave @nytimes management months of notice of our strike deadline, we made ourselves available around the clock, but the company has decided that our members aren’t worth enough to agree to a fair contract and stop committing unfair labor practices,” argued the guild on X while sharing that the needle displaying the “chance of a work stoppage” had reached 100%

The move came as the vast majority of members had voted in favor of going on strike on Sept. 10, as guild unit Chair Kathy Zhang said in a statement reported by the Times, “They have left us no choice but to demonstrate the power of our labor on the picket line.”

“Nevertheless, we stand ready to bargain and get this contract across the finish line,” she went on.

As previously reported, demands included a four-day workweek, trigger warnings when discussing news, and a “significant” pay increase that exceeded offers made by management Sunday such as a 2.5% annual wage increase, a 5% minimum increase for promotions, and a $1,000 ratification bonus.

According to the Wall Street Journal, “Most employees in the tech union receive pay of more than $100,000, and average compensation, including bonus and restricted stock units, is $190,000, according to a Times spokeswoman. That figure is an average of $40,000 more than members of the Times’s journalist union, she said.”

Picketers encouraged Wordle and crossword puzzle fans alike to break their streaks on games offered by the Times while the Journal reported that Susan DeCarava, president of the NewsGuild of New York said, “We have been sounding the alarm for weeks and cleared our schedules to get this contract done before the election week deadline.”

Previously, the aforementioned guilds joined with the Wirecutter Union in 2022 in refusing to return to their offices, even on a part-time basis, as they sought to perpetuate the remote benefits brought on by COVID.

In a statement on behalf of the newspaper, Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades-Ha expressed, “We look forward to continuing to work with the Tech Guild to reach a fair contract that takes into account that they are already among the highest paid individual contributors in the Company and journalism is our top priority.”

“We’re in one of the most consequential periods of coverage for our readers and have robust plans in place to ensure that we are able to fulfill our mission and serve our readers,” she continued. “While we respect the union’s right to engage in protected actions, we’re disappointed that colleagues would strike at this time, which is both unnecessary and at odds with our mission.”

Meanwhile, the unpaid picketing prompted members to set up a crowdfunding page which, as of the time of this post, had received over $50,000 toward a goal of $75,000.

Reactions were skeptical as to whether the public would even notice, with some even suggesting it would be a net positive for the Times election coverage to be impacted.

Kevin Haggerty
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