The New York Times’ digital operations could be imperiled at a critical time, Election Week, after hundreds of its tech staffers went on strike on Monday.
The New York Times Tech Guild that represents hundreds of the giant newspaper’s tech staffers went on strike on Monday, one day before Election Day.
The guild said in a statement that members would begin protesting outside the Times headquarters on a daily basis, beginning at 9 a.m. on Monday, according to the New York Times.
The planned walkout came after a vote on Sept. 10 to go on strike at a critical juncture if a deal wasn’t made: Election Week. Anticipation and interest in the 2024 election is at a fever pitch, and the New York Times has the largest online subscription base of any American newspaper and one of the most highly trafficked news websites.
According to the Times, the Tech Guild’s 600 members are in charge of the back-end systems that power the paper’s extensive digital operations. The strike could affect the paper’s ability to cover the election results of the presidential race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as well as the hundreds of House and dozens of Senate races dominating the national conversation and determining who will control of Washington in 2025.
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“They have left us no choice but to demonstrate the power of our labor on the picket line,” Kathy Zhang, the guild’s unit chair, said in the statement, according to the New York Times. “Nevertheless, we stand ready to bargain and get this contract across the finish line.”
According to the Times, negotiations went late into Sunday and there were still disagreements over issues like a “just cause” provision that would prevent termination for reasons unrelated to misconduct, as well as pay raises and return-to-office policies. Times management told workers on Sunday it had offered a 2.5 percent annual wage hike, a 5 percent pay increase minimum for promotions and a $1,000 ratification bonus.
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At a rally last week, one Guild staffer called on the company to stop “dragging its feet” on a contract and guaranteed a strike if it didn’t get its “s–t together.” He also criticized the “myth” that popular apps and services fix themselves without humans behind the scenes.
“Our work that all of us in the Tech Guild do is as human and as directly powered by our labor as the work of our co-workers in the newsroom,” he said.
There are reports that the site’s famous “Election Needle” showing the likelihood of Trump or Harris winning could be imperiled; tech workers also work to make sure the Times’ apps, push alerts and other digital mechanisms work smoothly.
The negotiations have gotten ugly at times; the Tech Guild posted on X on Oct. 30, “One of the most offensive things we’ve seen from @nytimes during this contract fight is managers trying to discourage our members from striking and even providing a secret way to scab during a strike by feeding code to a contractor remotely. Union busting is disgusting!”
Fox News Digital reached out to the Guild and New York Times for comment. A spokesperson told the Times that there were “robust plans in place to ensure that we are able to fulfill our mission and serve our readers” with regards to the tech staff walkout.
