NYT tech staff end election week strike, negotiations to continue

[Karah]

THE NEW YORK TIMES TECH EMPLOYEES WENT BACK TO WORK TUESDAY AFTER A WEEKLONG STRIKE THAT BEGAN JUST BEFORE ELECTION DAY. THE GUILD AND THE TIMES REACHED A CONCLUSION THAT ALLOWED WORKERS TO RETURN, BUT NO FINAL DEAL HAS BEEN MADE… AND THERE’S STILL MORE NEGOTIATING AHEAD.

THE STRIKE IMPACTED THE TIMES’ ELECTION COVERAGE, AS SOME STATE-LEVEL PREDICTION NEEDLES WEREN’T DISPLAYED, AND THE WEBSITE AND APP SAW SLOW LOAD TIMES. REPORTS ALSO NOTED THAT ABOUT 100 TECH WORKERS CROSSED THE PICKET LINE TO KEEP DIGITAL OPERATIONS RUNNING.

NOW THAT THE STRIKE HAS ENDED, THE TECH GUILD HAS ANNOUNCED THAT TIMES USERS SHOULD RETURN TO THEIR DAILY PUZZLES AND THE COOKING APP… BOTH OF WHICH THE GUILD HAD ASKED USERS TO AVOID DURING THE STRIKE… CREATING THEIR OWN VERSIONS FOR SUPPORTIVE READERS IN THE MEANTIME.

THE NEW YORK TIMES TECH GUILD REPRESENTS OVER 600 TECH WORKERS WHO MANAGE THE DIGITAL FEATURES AT THE TIMES, INCLUDING POPULAR GAMES LIKE WORDLE AND CONNECTIONS. THEIR STRIKE, WHICH BEGAN ON THE EVE OF THE U.S. ELECTION, RAISED CONCERNS OVER THE STABILITY OF CRITICAL VOTE-TRACKING TOOLS, LIKE THE “NEEDLE.”

A TIMES SPOKESPERSON CREDITED THE GUILD MEMBERS AND OTHERS FOR THE SITE’S ELECTION READINESS, CALLING IT “THE SMOOTHEST PERFORMANCE DURING AN ELECTION YET.” THE TIMES ALSO SAID THEY’RE COMMITTED TO NEGOTIATING A FAIR CONTRACT WHILE NOTING THAT GUILD MEMBERS ARE AMONG THE HIGHEST-PAID CONTRIBUTORS.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS… I’M KARAH RUCKER.