The New York Times Tech Guild has set a tentative three-year deal one month after ending its strike.
“We’re thrilled to reach an agreement that secures ‘just cause’ protections, sustains workplace flexibility, and guarantees annual raises for our members,” Senior Analytics Manager at The New York Times and Tech Guild Unit Chair, Kathy Zhang, said in a reported statement obtained by TheWrap on Wednesday. “These first contract wins set a strong foundation for job protections that our colleagues will build upon for generations. I could not be more proud to have been part of organizing this strong, fighting union. Serving on our first bargaining committee has been the honor of a lifetime.”
Tech Guild members are scheduled to vote on the ratification of their contract on Thursday, Dec. 19. The guild is made up of software developers, data analysts, project managers, engineers, graphic designers and more at The New York Times
The agreement stands as the first for the Times Tech Guild, the largest union of tech workers with collective bargaining rights in the country, which represents nearly 6,000 media workers and two other units at The New York Times. The NewsGuild of New York represents the Times Tech Guild. The deal comes after more than two years of negotiations, which kicked off after the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) won its election in March 2022.
Here are some of the key agreements made in the deal below:
- Enhanced job security with ‘just cause’ protections
- Guaranteed wage increases for the first time of up to 8.25% (plus additional base rate discretionary compensation) that prioritize the largest wage increases for the lowest paid members over the life of the contract
- Additional compensation for on-call work
- Important protections that lock in guardrails on additional variable compensation (including stocks and bonuses)
- Improved protections for workers on visas
- Language guaranteeing flexible hybrid work schedules
- Process and transparency protections related to career growth performance reviews and other workplace issues.
“With this contract our Tech Guild members demonstrate what happens when workers band together to fight for the value of their labor,” Susan DeCarava, President of The NewsGuild of New York, said in a statement. “We not only won a first contract that set new standards for workers within the New York Times, but we’ve also established a strong foundation for what is possible for tech workers in the future when they organize and bargain collectively.”
The New York Times Tech Guild ended its strike on Nov. 11 after previously not reaching an improved contract deal with the paper.
