The New York Times website could be shut down on election day as the newspaper’s Tech Guild has threatened to go on strike.
The union sent a letter to the Board of Directors on Friday, warning that an agreement must be made by election day to avoid interruptions.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT, @nytimes!!
We’re at Grand Army Plaza today, Scabby in tow, to warn NYC that their hometown paper is at risk of shutting down — unless we get the contract we deserve! ✊ pic.twitter.com/h6d8Xnsio8
— New York Times Tech Guild (@NYTGuildTech) November 2, 2024
Negotiations between the union and the newspaper have been ongoing for three years.
The Tech Guild represents approximately 700 workers who authorized a strike in September.
This morning, our bargaining committee sent a letter to the members of the @NYTimes board of directors, informing them that Times representatives have demonstrated an unwillingness at the table to be reasonable on key contract demands. pic.twitter.com/l5LhPyrHz1
— New York Times Tech Guild (@NYTGuildTech) November 1, 2024
The Guild posted the letter to social media, accusing the Times representatives of demonstrating “an unwillingness at the table to be reasonable on key contract demands.”
The union demands job security, fair hours, wages and benefits, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We want to reach an agreement and believe it is possible with a good faith management partner. We have made it clear that we need to reach an agreement before the election in order to avert a strike,” the letter states.
The letter warns that it will be a “painful and costly strike” if they do not get what they want.
“Our ask to you is simple: Tell A.G., Meredith, and the rest of the masthead to stop committing unfair labor practices and secure a fair contract by the election to avoid a strike,” the letter continued.
A New York Times spokesperson told The Hill that the company plans to work with the union to avoid a strike.
“We look forward to continuing to work with 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,” the spokesperson said in the statement, noting the timing of the strike is “one of the most consequential periods of coverage for our readers.”
“There is no outlet that provides The Times’s depth of reporting and analysis — something that will be even more essential to our readers and the country if, as in 2020, the election fails to produce a clear result until days or weeks after election day,” the spokesperson continued.
“The election deadline timing is arbitrary and was a decision made unilaterally by the Tech Guild leadership. While we respect the union’s right to engage in protected actions, threatening a strike at this time, feels both unnecessary and at odds with our mission,” the spokesperson concluded.
