Tech staff at The New York Times have begun a strike and they’re urging fans of the company’s games such as Wordle and Connections to break their streaks in solidarity.
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As reported by Eurogamer, The Times Tech Guild, a union that bargains for over 600 people who ensure the New York Times‘ website and games continue to run, started the strike after “multiple rounds of intense bargaining”.
In a statement released on X, formerly Twitter, the NewsGuild of New York, wrote that the strike began yesterday (Monday November 4), and that workers would be picketing outside the New York Times‘ Eighth Avenue entrance from 9am to 6pm every day.
NewsGuild of New York represents workers at news organisations in the area.
ULP STRIKE ALERT (Thread, 1 of 4): Our @NYTGuildTech members have walked off the job despite making every effort to negotiate with management. Our members know their worth and they will prove that at the picket line today. Read more here…. pic.twitter.com/FaPtLCwW9J
— NewsGuild of New York (@nyguild) November 4, 2024
The strike comes at a key time for the New York Times, as US presidential election coverage will be in full swing today (November 5).
The statement claims that “key concerns such as remote/hybrid work protections, just cause” job protections, which the newsroom union has had for decades; limits on subcontracting; and pay equity/ fair pay” have not been “meaningfully addressed” by management.
The unit chair of the Tech Guild, Kathy Zhang, who is a senior analytics manager at The New York Times, claims: “Our union members and bargaining committee have done everything to avoid this ULP strike. But management is more willing to risk our election coverage than they are to agree to a fair deal with its workers.”
The striking Tech Guild is “asking readers to honor the digital picket line and not play popular NYT games such as Wordle and Connections as well as not use the NYT Cooking app” during the strike action.
Members of the Times Guild, made up of newsroom staff, has pledged solidarity and will not be doing any struck work.
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