NYT Tech Guild Stewards' Pledge

NYT Tech Guild Stewards Pledge

We formed a union because we care about The New York Times and want to fulfill its mission of becoming the best place to work in media. To do this, we pledge to stand in solidarity as stewards of our union.

In support of fellow workers, shop stewards commit to standing with every member of the unit. We each commit to:

• Treating each other with kindness and respect and to giving each other (and ourselves) grace when faced with challenges

• Taking concrete action if any unit member were to face retaliation for supporting the union — including job actions, filing charges with the National Labor Relations Board, and organizing public campaigns of support

• Taking on a number of contacts that one can responsibly take on, focusing on the quality of these relationships

• Meeting regularly with our designated group of contacts to make sure every member’s voice is heard and that everyone is able to actively build our power as a union

• Consistency of 1:1s with our contacts - ideally every two weeks, but at least once a month with the willingness to be flexible around urgent actions, and simultaneously keeping Stewards Notes up to date with relevant information (date of contact, discussion of issues, etc.)

• Building awareness of announced actions by reaching out to every contact for an action (with the exception of those who have requested not to be contacted)

• Knowing and documenting contacts' top issues & concerns

• Being respectful of your contacts’ preferred method of communication and keeping it updated in Stewards Notes

• Leading by example with your own action participation - completing an action within the first 2 weeks of its announcement (e.g. signing a pledge)

• Representing our coworkers in disciplinary settings and navigating tough conversations to lead to better outcomes for fellow members

• Personal engagement/accountability, including:

  • Attending trainings
  • Attending bargaining sessions
  • Reading relevant notes/shop papers/updates
  • Reviewing management communications / being aware of what's going on

• Building power with your pod towards full coverage, including:

  • Ensuring all contacts are regularly having conversations with stewards, especially during collective actions
  • Regularly attending (ideally weekly) pod meetings
  • At least one pod member is attending CAT meetings weekly, on a rotation
  • Participating in pod facilitation of CAT meetings
  • Knowing pod pain points and being up to date with your part of the org
  • Onboarding new members to the union

Together, united, we have the power to make The New York Times the best it can be. In solidarity,

The Stewards Network