(Headline USA) Hundreds of New York Times tech staffers walked off the job on Monday to go on strike, just one day before Election Day, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The publication’s Tech Guild announced the strike on Monday morning, saying its workers would start protesting outside the Times’s headquarters in Manhattan, New York until a deal is reached.
We are on ULP 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. pic.twitter.com/jYlANW1ruw
— New York Times Tech Guild (@NYTGuildTech) November 4, 2024
The 600-plus employees were a part of the Tech Guild and in charge of the Times’s backend systems, which power the publication’s extensive digital operations.
Without them on the job, the Times’s ability to effectively update and cover election results this week could be hampered.
The site’s famous “Election Needle,” for example, might not be available on Election Night for the first time in several years.
Kathy Zhang, the guild’s unit chair, hinted that the timing of the strike was intentional.
“They have left us no choice but to demonstrate the power of our labor on the picket line,” she said in a statement. “We stand ready to bargain and get this contract across the finish line.”
The New York Times chastised the union in a statement, urging the workers to put the paper’s coverage first.
“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,” said Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades-Ha.
Rhoades-Ha added the Times was disappointed over the timing of the strike.
“While we respect the union’s right to engage in protected actions, we’re disappointed that colleagues would strike at this time,” she continued, “which is both unnecessary and at odds with our mission.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Times and the Tech Guild have been unable to reach an agreement on new protections for its tech workers, including a “just cause” provision that would prevent termination for reasons unrelated to misconduct.
