On Election Day in the United States, hundreds of technical employees of The New York Times continued to strike, demanding better pay and job security. This strike not only shows that employees are dissatisfied with the status quo, but also arouses people's attention to the support system of journalism, especially in such a critical period as the election. This strike may have an impact on the election coverage of The New York Times.

Background of the strike: Protests on the eve of Election Day

The strike was initiated by the New York Times Technical Employees Association (Tech Guild). Starting from Monday morning, employees held a protest outside the newspaper's headquarters in New York City every day for several days. The choice of the timing of this strike is not accidental, but carefully considered. The union had previously warned management that if an agreement could not be reached before Election Day, strike action would be inevitable.

The New York Times Technical Employees Association represents more than 600 technical staff who provide technical support to the newspaper, including the development of popular election reporting tools such as election maps and election pointers, and also supports other applications such as Wordle and cooking platforms. Because Election Day is a peak traffic period, these technical tools are crucial to the real-time and accuracy of The New York Times's election coverage.

Three core demands: job protection, flexible working and fair pay

Behind this strike, the union has clear core demands. First, employees demand proper job protection to prevent being fired without cause. The union believes that employees should work in a safe and stable environment without having to worry about being fired at any time. Although management supports this in principle, the two sides failed to reach an agreement on the specific process.

Second, the union requires that the current hybrid office policy be maintained, allowing employees to choose to work outside the office. Hybrid office policies have gradually become popular during the epidemic, but as companies resume normal operations, many companies have begun to tighten their policies, and this change has caused strong resistance from employees. The union believes that retaining flexible working is an important factor in maintaining job satisfaction.

Third, the union requires a solution to the issue of pay equity, especially the pay gap between genders and minority employees. The Technical Employees Association studied the pay structure of The New York Times and found that there was an unfair pay gap between female and minority employees, so the union proposed a 2.5% pay increase and hoped to stipulate specific measures to solve the issue of pay equity in the contract.

Union members' voices: Fighting for a fair deal

Union president Kathy Zhang said in a statement that the union had done everything possible to avoid a strike and hoped that management would agree to a fair deal. However, management's response disappointed them, especially during a critical period like the election, when newspapers should maintain good relations with employees rather than risk affecting reporting.

Sarah Duncan, a software engineer at the New York Times, pointed out that the union had previously given management a deadline, but the other side had not responded to employees' needs. She said the strike was a last-ditch effort to defend their rights, and that technical employees were just fighting for a fair contract to ensure that their work was not underestimated or ignored.

Management response: Expressing disappointment conflicts with mission

New York Times spokesperson Danielle Rhoades Ha responded that management respects the union's right to take action, but striking on election day is unnecessary and contrary to the newspaper's mission. She pointed out that the strike could affect the normal operation of election tools, making the newspaper's reporting work on that day challenging. Despite this, management did not disclose whether it would make concessions in the future to meet the union's demands.

Impact of the strike: Risks of reporting and public attention

The strike has attracted widespread attention from the media and the public. Election coverage is crucial to the credibility and service quality of newspapers, especially on presidential election day, when voters have an even more urgent need for real-time updates on the election. The strike by technical staff could hinder the operation of the Times' key election tools, affecting not only readers' access to information but also its competitiveness among its peers.

Necessity of cooperation and consensus

The strike by the New York Times Technical Staff Association shows that journalism is not just the work of frontline journalists, but also relies on technical support and the efforts of back-end staff. These employees are the backbone of news media operations, ensuring that information can be accurately and promptly disseminated to readers. Therefore, the union's demands are not only a fight for employee benefits, but also a maintenance of the healthy development of the news industry.

In the future, cooperation between management and the union will be key. If the two sides can reach a consensus through negotiations, it will not only protect the rights and interests of employees, but also further consolidate the foundation of journalism and provide more reliable services to the public.