New York Times’ tech staff walks out before Election Day

The New York Times’ tech team has gone on strike, threatening the newspaper’s real-time coverage of Election Day results. Around 600 engineers, data analysts and product managers are participating in the walkout, which centers on demands for better pay, remote work options and stronger worker protections.

The tech workers provide critical support for The Times’ digital operations, including live election coverage tools like the election needle feature and interactive updates.

If the strike continues, it could delay the necessary fixes to unforeseen bugs as the website braces for heavy traffic on Election Day.

We are on ULP strike. We gave @nytimes management months of notice of our strike deadline, we made ourselves available around the clock, but the company has decided that our members aren’t worth enough to agree to a fair contract and stop committing unfair labor practices. pic.twitter.com/jYlANW1ruw

— New York Times Tech Guild (@NYTGuildTech) November 4, 2024

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In solidarity with the strike, workers are urging readers to avoid using the newspaper’s popular apps and games, including “Wordle” and “The Cooking App,” and to end their daily streaks.

Hi all. I'm Robert, a lead product designer at NYT Games. My coworkers @NYTGuildTech and I are on strike for a fair contract–we're asking that in solidarity you don't play any of our games today: Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, etc. Break your streak! https://t.co/3lhomNAJMV

— Robert Vinluan (@RobertVinluan) November 4, 2024

More than 750 journalists at the Times have expressed support for the tech team. The journalists signed a pledge asking the newspaper’s publisher to reach an agreement, saying, “We can’t do our jobs without the Tech Guild. Can you imagine if our election needle didn’t work, the app didn’t open, or the homepage went down? Bargain now. Honor your commitment to our readers.”

“While we respect the union’s right to engage in protected actions, we’re disappointed that colleagues would strike at this time, which is both unnecessary and at odds with our mission,” Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for The New York Times, told the Washington Post

As negotiations continue, it remains unclear how long the strike will last. The tech workers plan to hold daily protests outside the Times’ headquarters until an agreement is reached.