Hundreds of New York Times journalists went on strike Thursday after contract negotiations stalled until Wednesday.
The historic 24-hour walkout, which began at midnight on Thursday, is reportedly the first strike of its kind at the newspaper in more than 40 years.
“Today we were willing to work as long as we could to reach a fair deal, but management walked away from the table five hours before the end,” he said. The NYT Guild tweeted about it Wednesday night. “It’s official: @NYTimesGuild members will walk out for 24 hours on Thursday. We know our worth,” the union said.
The New York Times said it was in the middle of negotiations when it was told the strike had been approved.
“It’s disappointing that they’re taking such extreme action when we haven’t reached an impasse,” Times spokesman Daniel Rhoads Ha said.
Last week, the union announced tentative plans for a strike on Thursday, saying more than 1,000 members were prepared to walk out if their demands were not met.
Talks took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, but the sides were far apart on issues such as wage increases and telecommuting policies.
Mega-news Corp. agreed to several union demands, including expanded maternity benefits and dropped attempts to kill pension plans, – said the association.
The guild called the strike, accusing management of rejecting several of the union’s “highest priorities,” such as attractive wage increases, maintaining the minimum wage for new promotions and contributing more to employee health plans. continues.
The Times has proposed a 5.5 percent pay increase once the contract is ratified, and a 3 percent increase over the next two years, said Cliff Levy, deputy managing editor.
The guild is fighting for a 10% wage increase at the time of ratification, but it believes it will make up for missed raises for the past two years after the contract expires.
“Their wage offer still does not keep up with economic momentum, and lags well behind both inflation and US average wages,” the union said.
The union is also seeking a hybrid option, with the company requiring employees to be in the office three days a week.
Striking journalists will hold a demonstration outside The New York Times’ Midtown headquarters Thursday afternoon, while their non-union colleagues remain on the loose. Ha said the newspaper relies on international journalists and other journalists.
“We will produce a credible report on Thursday,” said Joe Kahn, executive editor of The Times. wrote in a note to the newsroom. “But it’s going to be harder than usual.”
Union workers are asking their supporters not to cross the digital picket line by abandoning all New York Times platforms on Thursday.
“Read the local news. Make something out of a cookbook. Crack your Wordle series,” union members shared on Twitter.
With post wires
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