NEW YORK: New York Times’ more than 1000 journalists and workers staged a strike on Thursday in the first industrial action of its kind in over 40 years.
Journalists and other staff members as America’s prestigious daily, walked out at midnight for twenty-four hours after failing to ink an agreement with the company on the latest round of contract talks.
The striking workers’ union NewsGuild had said that a key sticking issue was the management’s snub to raise wages in line with growing inflation.
Retirement, health benefits as well as return-to-work policies following the Covid-19 pandemic were also a problem.
The union said in a tweet that more than 1100 workers of the New York Times are now officially on strike, the first incidence of its kind in four decades.
The union said in a tweet that more than 1100 workers of the New York Times are now officially on strike, the first incidence of its kind in four decades.
Danielle Rhoades Ha, New York Times spokeswoman, said in a statement that talks had not broken down and such an extreme action by employees is disappointing.
The media outlet’s broadcast producer Phoebe Lett tweeted that the strike of those 1200 colleagues who sacrificed everything for the company is heartbreaking.
Non-union employees to produce news
The union said that the workers were willing to do what it takes to make the newsroom a better place for all as the newspaper said in an article about the strike that non-union employees would work in the newsroom on Thursday. The newsroom has a total staff of more than 1800 employees.
The contract between the company and the union expired in March last year and around 40 negotiation sessions have been held since, according to the article.
The newspaper has offered employees a 5.5% raise upon signing the contract, three percent raises in 2023 and 2024 and a 4 percent backdated bonus to compensate for a lack of raises since the expiration of the contract.
But the union has demanded a 10% raise upon signing the agreement, 5.5% raises in 2023 and 2024 and 8.5% backdated bonus. –APP/AFP
