New York Times tech workers are going on strike at the worst possible time

The Tech Guild, which represents workers like software developers and data analysts, said members would be picketing outside the Times’ New York City headquarters. It asked the public to honor its digital picket line by not using the NYT Cooking app or playing popular Times games like Wordle and Connections.

The stoppage could split the vaunted news organization between the Tech Guild and other newsroom members, who worry about how the strike could impact the outlet’s ability to handle a surge in election-related traffic — especially as the Times increasingly depends on its digital operation. Digital-only subscriptions became the Times’ biggest revenue stream in 2020.

The Guild said 750 journalists, which is less than half the Times’ newsroom of about 2,700 — signed a petition supporting the tech workers. Some have expressed sympathy for the Guild’s cause, while others have questioned the timing of the strike and other demands like pay increases and remote work. The Times’ hybrid policy calls for the newsroom to be in the office at least three days a week and the tech staff at least two days a week, with exceptions.

At least one newsroom member emailed their union rep that they felt the strike was harming the organization. “I’m hearing stuff I’ve never heard before like ‘those people should be fired’ and others rooting for the website to work well so the Guild loses any leverage,” this person said.

“Sometimes you have to put the public service mission ahead of your self-interest, and this is one of those times,” said a second newsroom employee. Both asked for anonymity to discuss the strike freely.

The Times Guild, which represents non-tech workers, called on Times management to complete a deal by Election Day.

“Can you imagine if our election needle didn’t work, the app didn’t open or the homepage went down?” the Times Guild said.

The tech team can work on the Times’ famed election needle, a data visualization tool that indicates which way a race is tilting, in the event of a malfunction. The Times can also choose to unpublish the needle during a race if it considers the underlying data to be unreliable. So the needle being “down” or not functional doesn’t always signal a tech malfunction.

The Tech Guild said it was bargaining over issues including remote work protections, pay equity, limits on subcontracting, and just cause.

Times management has countered that it made a strong offer promising tech workers generous pay and benefits, including total compensation (salary, bonus, and restricted stock options) of $190,000, or $40,000 more on average than journalists in the Times Guild.

“We look forward to continuing to work with the 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,” a Times spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re in one of the most consequential periods of coverage for our readers and have robust plans in place to ensure that we are able to fulfill our mission and serve our readers.”

The Tech Guild, formed in 2021, has been negotiating with management since 2022. It’s made up of 600 members including designers, software engineers, data analysts, and project managers. It’s represented by the NewsGuild of New York, which also represents more than 1,400 newsroom and business employees via The New York Times Guild. The NewsGuild also represents Business Insider employees.

The Times signaled it’s preparing for a long fight: Times Co. chairman AG Sulzberger wrote in a note that he expects the strike to continue at least through the election.

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