New York Times staff plan strike Thursday over pay, conditions

Newsroom employees and other members of The NewsGuild of New York say they are fed up with the bargaining that has dragged on since their last contract expired in March 2021. The union announced last week that more than 1,100 employees would hold a 24 hour work stoppage starting at 12: 01 a.m. Thursday unless the two sides reach a contract deal.

There were negotiations on Tuesday and some of Wednesday but the sides remained very different on issues such as wage increases and remote-work policies.

The union said on Wednesday evening that a deal had not been reached and the walkout was happening. Management walked away from the table with five hours to go, and we were ready to work for as long as it took to reach a fair deal, it said. The union said that we know what we are worth.

Danielle Rhoades Ha, a New York Times NYT spokesman, said in a statement that they were still in negotiations when they were told that the strike was happening.

She said that it was disappointing that they are taking such extreme action when we are not at an impasse.

It was not known how Thursday's coverage would be affected, but the strike's supporters include members of the fast-paced live-news desk, which covers breaking news for the digital paper. Employees planned a rally for the afternoon outside the newspaper's offices near Times Square.

Rhoades Ha told The Associated Press that they have solid plans in place to continue producing content, including relying on international reporters and other journalists who are not union members.

Deputy Managing Editor Cliff Levy called the planned strike puzzling and an unsettling moment in negotiations over a new contract, in a note sent to guild-represented staff Tuesday night. He said it would be the first strike by the bargaining unit since 1981 and comes despite intensifying efforts by the company to make progress. In a letter signed by more than 1,000 employees, the NewsGuild said management has been dragging its feet on bargaining for nearly two years and time is running out to reach a fair contract by the end of the year.

The NewsGuild said the company told employees planning to strike that they would not get paid for the duration of the strike. Members were asked to work extra hours in order to get work done ahead of the strike, according to the union.

In recent years, the New York Times has seen other, shorter walkouts, including a half-day protest by a new union representing technology workers who claimed unfair labor practices.

In a breakthrough both sides called significant, the company backs off its proposal to replace the existing adjustable pension plan with an enhanced 401 k retirement plan. The Times offered to let the union choose between the two. The company agreed to expand fertility treatment benefits.

Levy said that the company has offered to raise wages by 5.5% upon ratification of the contract, followed by 3% hikes in 2023 and 2024. That would be an increase from the 2.2% annual increases in the expired contract.

Stacy Cowley, a finance reporter and union representative, said the union is seeking 10% pay raises at ratification, which she said would make up for raises not received over the past two years.

She said the union wants to give employees the option to work remotely some of the time, if their roles allow for it, but the company wants to recall workers to the office full time. Cowley said the Times required its staff to be in office three days a week but many have been showing up less often in an informal protest.