The New York Times Tech Guild walked off the job at 12:01 a.m. Monday. The strike, called by the Tech Guild, is an open-ended action against unfair labor practices. It follows intense negotiations between the Tech Guild and Times management, which failed to yield a contract agreement. This strike could disrupt the Times’ coverage of election results, according to Tech Guild representatives.
Failed Negotiations and Key Issues
Kait Hoehne, a senior software engineer and Tech Guild member, stated the group aimed to avoid a strike. However, she explained that management’s unwillingness to make concessions on key issues left tech employees feeling they had no choice. “We love our jobs and want to do them,” Hoehne said. “But we’ve been bargaining for far too long without movement from management … the ball is in their court now.”
The strike centers on three main issues: job protections, remote work options, and pay equity. The Tech Guild, represented by the NewsGuild of New York, has been negotiating with the company since 2022. Both sides have accused each other of causing delays in reaching an agreement. In September, unit members voted overwhelmingly to authorize the strike, timing it to coincide with the high-profile election period. They saw this as a strategic move to pressure management to agree to their terms.
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Company Response and Potential Impact
The Times has disputed the Guild’s complaints, particularly those around return-to-office mandates and alleged questioning of employees about strike plans. Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha stated, “While we respect the union’s right to engage in protected actions, we’re disappointed that colleagues would strike at this time, which is unnecessary and at odds with our mission.”
The Tech Guild represents around 600 staff, including software engineers, product managers, data analysts, and designers. Their work on the Times’ back-end systems supports critical digital features, like live-blogs and mobile push alerts, which are essential for high-traffic events such as elections. Hoehne noted that without these engineers to handle the infrastructure during peak times, teams could face major disruptions.
Picketing and Digital Boycott
Striking employees will picket outside the Times Square office daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. They are also encouraging readers to honor a “digital picket line” by avoiding the Times’ games and cooking apps during the strike.
Past Media Strikes and Union Wins
While one-day walkouts have become common among unionized media, open-ended strikes are rare. In September, more than 250 employees at Law360, another NewsGuild-represented outlet, went on a week-long strike that ended in a contract agreement with significant wage increases and just-cause protections. Last year, employees at Insider also went on strike, reaching a 13-day standoff before securing a contract with higher minimum salaries and a layoff moratorium. In contrast, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette employees have been on strike for more than two years, with their case now in court.
The outcome of the Tech Guild’s strike at the New York Times remains uncertain. However, this action signals the determination of media workers to stand up for fair labor practices and their willingness to take sustained action to achieve them.
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