A majority of over 650 tech workers at The New York Times announced Tuesday that they have formed a union and are seeking voluntary recognition from the company. More than 1,300 editorial and business staff at the Times are already represented by The NewsGuild of New York.
The Times Tech Guild covers engineers, product managers, project managers, designers, quality assurance staffers, and data scientists and analysts, who build and maintain the digital products and systems the Times relies on to deliver its journalism to millions of readers and subscribers daily. The group is organizing for pay equity among staff, enhanced diversity and inclusion, “just cause” protections, improved healthcare, and clearer paths for career growth.
While the media industry is highly unionized, the tech industry is less so. The Times Tech Guild is one of the largest tech unionization efforts underway, along with the Alphabet Workers Union.
“I’m proud to stand with hundreds of my colleagues at the Times in asking for recognition of our union today,” said Nozlee Samadzadeh, senior software engineer. “Every one of us is here because we believe in the mission of the New York Times. We can’t wait to get to the bargaining table to collaborate with Times leadership on issues like pay equity, diversity, job security, and more, to make it an even better place to work.”
Angie Kim, associate software engineer, said, “I’m proud to stand united and strong with my exceptional colleagues as we fight for what all workers deserve: equity, transparency, and security in our workplace. By coming together as a union, we’re proving that tech workers, too, can stand in solidarity with each other and create an environment where all of us have the opportunity to thrive.”
“Workers must have a voice in their workplace, and I believe that a union is the only durable and surefire way to make certain that we do,” said Goran Svorcan-Merola, senior software engineer. “Today, we stand with our colleagues at the Times, our industry peers, and all workers who want to enact meaningful change in their workplace. We’re excited to get to work!”
Kathy Zhang, senior manager of newsroom and product analytics, said, “It’s long past time to bring democracy into our workplace and ensure all workers have a voice in our work and our working conditions. I’m thrilled to be building this union with my coworkers.”
“The tech workers at the New York Times ensure reader access to the Times’ award-winning journalism,” said Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York. “Today we proudly welcome these workers into our union and hope that this effort inspires others in the tech industry to stand together to strengthen their workplaces and industry. We look forward to a swift recognition process from the company so that we can get to the table and bargain a collaborative contract.”
Follow the Times Tech Guild on Twitter @NYTGuildTech or visit their website, NYTimesGuild.org. Read the Mission Statement from the Times Tech Guild. Learn more: nyguild.org.