Members of the New York Times Guild union are calling on the public to join their strike by not reading The New York Times or accessing the Times’ digital platform.
As previously reported, the 1,000+ strong union threatened to conduct a 24-hour walkout/strike unless certain demands were met by Thursday, Dec. 8th.
The demands included “fair wages,” a non-biased “performance ratings system,” a “remote work policy,” no cuts to pensions, and an “investment that ensures our health care fund does not run at an unsustainable loss.”
Thursday is here, the strike has begun, and members of the Guild are now asking for the public’s assistance:
We’re asking readers to not engage in any @nytimes platforms tomorrow and stand with us on the digital picket line! Read local news. Listen to public radio. Make something from a cookbook. Break your Wordle streak.
— Amanda Hess (@amandahess) December 7, 2022
Barring a breakthrough, @nytimes staff will walk out from midnight to 11:59pm Thursday, Dec. 8.
We’re asking readers to stand with us on the digital picket line and not visit any NYT platforms tomorrow. Read local news. Make something from a cookbook. Break your Wordle streak. https://t.co/KiUlHAtkuh
— Maggie Astor (@MaggieAstor) December 7, 2022
In a tweet posted Wednesday afternoon, New York Times Guild second vice-president Amanda Hess specifically asked readers of the Times “to not engage in any @nytimes platforms tomorrow and stand with us on the digital picket line!”
In a tweet posted shortly thereafter, fellow union member Maggie Astor re-upped the request, adding that the walkout would begin at midnight Thursday morning.
Guild members are also being aided in their efforts by congressional Democrats like extremely far-left Rep. Jamaal Bowman:
Tonight at midnight, 1,100 workers at @nytimes are going on a 24 hour strike. Here’s what you can do…
Do not engage with any of the New York Times platforms. DO NOT CROSS THE DIGITAL PICKET LINE. Get your news from other sources and tell your friends to do the same. @nyguild pic.twitter.com/Eu9Cha4aFg
— Jamaal Bowman Ed.D (@JamaalBowmanNY) December 8, 2022
The reason for the walkout was first outlined to New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien in a letter sent last Friday by New York Times Guild union chair Bill Baker.
“For more than 20 months, we have worked in good faith to negotiate a new collective bargaining agreement, after the last one expired in March 2021. That good faith has not been returned by your negotiators,” Baker wrote.
“We have spent more than 120 hours across 40 bargaining sessions exchanging and amending dozens of proposals. We have listened carefully to management’s positions and concerns and have made countless revisions to address them. In return, we have been lectured about the dire economic future the company faces — even as the company tells Wall Street about a successful corporation that can afford to pay millions in salaries and benefits to its top executives,” he continued.
Baker added that after all this bargaining and negotiating, the Times’ management has thus far “only” agreed to a guaranteed 2.75 percent annual raise.
“This is unacceptable,” he concluded.
New York Times could go dark for a day: Journalists threaten to walk over pay demands https://t.co/w1X7VNtQba pic.twitter.com/U31gZ28aHo
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) December 4, 2022
However, the Times for its part staunchly disagreed and had no plans at the time of backing down.
“While we are disappointed that the NewsGuild is threatening to strike, we are prepared to ensure The Times continues to serve our readers without disruption,” a Times spokesperson told the Daily Mail late last week.
“We remain committed to working with the NYT NewsGuild to reach a contract that we can all be proud of. Our current wage proposal offers significant increases,” they added.
The spokesperson was also very defensive of the “current” proposal.
“‘The majority of members of the bargaining unit would earn 50 percent or more in additional earnings over the life of the new contract than they would have if the old contract had continued. Moreover, our accompanying medical and retirement proposals offer sustainable, best-in-class options for Guild members,” they explained.
“For additional context, under our latest proposal, a reporter in the union making $120,000, which is slightly below the median base salary in the unit, would get about $33,000 in additional earnings during the life of the new contract — or 57 percent more than if the old contract had continued,” the spokesperson added.
That said, if the walkout continues as planned, it could potentially affect other papers as well.
“If the trade unions follow through, the New York Post, Newsday and the regional editions of the Wall Street Journal and USA Today could also be affected as they outsource their printing to the Times’ College Point printing plant,” according to Fox News.
As for the general public, while there are plenty of Americans willing to do their part to help the union, there are also plenty of critics that aren’t.
Case in point:
When did NYT hire journalists?
— Jon Fisher (@MRLANDMANLLC) December 8, 2022
Were they asked to report the truth and couldn’t handle it?
— Don Hickey (@2002ceta) December 8, 2022
NYT should use as their moment to downscale. No body reads their fantasy crap anyway. Would save them money
— Capn_Junuh (@CJunuh) December 8, 2022
Personally since the track record of this rag has been it’s preference to support America’s enemies I hope the times implodes!
— Rich Watrous (@WatrousRich) December 8, 2022
— Darrell Hardin (@DarrellHardin73) December 8, 2022
Republished with permission from American Wire News Service
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