The New York Times has reached a new contract agreement with the union representing its newsroom employees, bringing an end to more than two years of contentious negotiations and a 24-hour strike.
The proposed agreement, once ratified, will provide immediate salary increases of up to 12.5 percent for union members, covering the past two years and 2023. It will also raise the minimum salary requirement to $65,000, a significant increase from the previous amount of around $37,500. Contractual raises have not been received by union members since 2020, as the previous contract expired in March 2021.
Under the terms of the contract, the median salary for reporters in the union would be approximately $160,000. The negotiating union, a part of the NewsGuild of New York, represents nearly 1,500 employees across various departments within the company, including the newsroom and advertising. The New York Times has over 1,800 people working in its newsroom.
The union has announced that members will vote on the ratification of the five-year deal in the upcoming week. Bill Baker, The New York Times Guild’s unit chair, expressed satisfaction with the agreement, stating, “This deal is a victory for all the union members who fought for a fair contract that rewards our hard work and sacrifice. It shows that the company cannot take us for granted and must be held accountable.”
Cliff Levy, a Times deputy managing editor, shared his support for the contract in an email to Times union members.
“From the beginning of this bargaining process, we’ve been determined to reach a contract that shows how much we value the contributions of NewsGuild members to The Times’s success,” Mr. Levy said.
The contract encompasses provisions regarding hybrid work arrangements and introduces paid sabbatical leave, granting four weeks off for every ten years of service at the company. The company has agreed that new newsroom positions, including any expansion into local markets, will be included in the union and receive fair minimum salaries.
The bargaining process for the contract was often intense, with disagreements arising over salaries, health and retirement benefits, and other matters. The union accused The Times of delaying negotiations and not sharing profits with employees, while Times executives cited the need for cautious budgeting amid economic uncertainty.
In December, members of the Times Guild organized a one-day strike, a rare occurrence for the publication. Last month, union members protested outside the company’s annual stockholder meeting and submitted a letter to publisher A.G. Sulzberger, signed by over 1,000 members, conveying their dissatisfaction. The letter stated, “Enough is enough.”
If approved, the new contract will cover the period from 2021 through February 2026. Union members will receive a one-time retroactive bonus of 7 percent of their base pay from the expiration of the previous contract.
Employees will receive initial salary increases on a sliding scale, with larger raises for those earning lower salaries. Those making under $100,000 per year will see an immediate 12.5 percent increase, while those earning over $160,000 per year will receive a 10.6 percent bump. All Guild employees will also receive a 3.25 percent increase in 2024 and a 3 percent increase in 2025.
