Solidarity Statements

I’m proud to be a Guild member because I know when we fight, we win — just like we’ve won just cause protections, a ban on NDAs in cases of harassment or discrimination, protections against using traffic for discipline, and strong health and safety and remote work rights. And we’re not even done with our first contract yet! I know your union will win all of these incredible workplace protections and more. Stay strong, and vote yes!!

I could talk a lot about how being a guild member has benefitted me personally — how Guild members have had my back in advocating for increased parental leave; how their tireless work around salary transparency helped me know my own worth; how they offered me protection and support when I felt it necessary to publicly criticize my working conditions. But truthfully, the thing about being a union member that makes me proudest is that its benefits are never just personal. I love being a union member because of the solidarity it builds between me and my colleagues. I love it because it empowers me to advocate to lift up others, not just myself. I love it because it has given me the framework to build community with workers across my industry, to fight for better conditions for some of the most mistreated and exploited workers in media, and to see other media workers as allies instead of competitors. This is what has made Guild membership among the most meaningful experiences of my life, and I truly hope that everyone has the opportunity to share in that feeling!

I have spent most of my career being part of a union. I can say that the few years that I was not were the most troubling. Being in a union has given me a sense of authority over my working conditions. It has allowed me to be vocal about issues at work without fear of reprisal. It's comforting to know that my colleagues and I have common interests that bond us together to make our workplace better for everyone. When NYT had no interest in analyzing salaries for pay disparities, our union used the language in our contract to gather the information needed to do our own study. This resulted in pay increases for many and a new corporate compensation committee with pay studies done more frequently. The Guild's ability to speak collectively on issues pertaining to DEI over the years has 'inspired' management to create some of the policies that are now in place. When management cut pensions for excluded employees we were able to keep ours because of our union. Each time there is an attempt to erode or violate our contract, either by creating a multi-tiered salary structure for reporters or an attempt to layoff hundreds of copy editors, I am reminded that if it were not for Guild members who spoke up and walked out, the Times would impose their will without resistance. For these reasons and more, I am a proud Guild member and am looking forward to the day that your vote will give us even more voice in our workplace together!

There is no feeling better than standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your colleagues and demanding what you deserve. There were lots of times when The New Yorker management told us something was impossible or that they wouldn't budge on something. Seeing our collective power turn the impossible into possible filled me with so much hope and optimism for the future. It's hard, it really is, but the reward of building a better workplace for the people around you is unbeatable. Seeing colleagues who have been grossly underpaid for years and years getting the salary they deserve is amazing. Being able to put just cause protection into place makes me feel so much more comfortable and safe at work when dealing with problem managers. As Conde tries to push us back to the office, I feel so much support and safety knowing that our entire shop will demand a say in that process. It's easy to feel powerless at work — that's what they want you to feel. This is how we get the power back. Together.

Being a part of the union has given me a feeling of kinship with my fellow coworkers. We have performed actions together, such as the walkout in 2017, that allowed me to feel empowered while also knowing that I was protected from retaliation. Being a Guild member has also meant there were set wages for the jobs I’ve occupied, guaranteed bonuses and wage increases. This is not something I’ve ever had in any other job. I feel all employees should be guaranteed these things and support the Tech Guild in your fight to be recognized.

I'm proud to be part of a community where the driving ethos is that YOUR COLLEAGUES HAVE YOUR BACK and want better benefits for all. It's an incredibly powerful way to push back against inequities in the system, and make the workplace — where we spend most of our waking hours — a fairer, more welcoming, more inclusive place for individuals, no matter where you come from or what views you hold. Solidarity forever with my tech union colleagues. ✊

I have been a member of the Guild for 6 years, across two news outlets. Having been at one of the news outlets before it unionized, I can say unequivocally that being a union member has only made my life better. I am about to have my first child, and because of Guild organizing Reuters will be giving me a total of 18 weeks paid time off to be with him.

I'm beyond proud to be a Guild member because we've saved jobs, defended each other, built the confidence of our unit members at the bargaining table, and become a stronger newsroom. Solidarity with the New York Times Tech Guild!

Through organizing, I've seen my colleagues coalesce around the radical idea that our newsroom should empower and support us. Since our certification last year, we've only continued to build our power. Knowing that we're one part of a formidable movement in the NewsGuild of New York inspires me to keep fighting for this vision at the bargaining table and beyond. Solidarity with the Times Tech Guild — can't wait to celebrate your election win and see what else you accomplish together!

Before I joined the Times in 2019, I simply didn't know how powerful it would feel to be a union member: the sense of solidarity, the knowledge that you have hundreds of people at your back and a contract to protect you. Where once I might've felt precarious in any given job, I now feel secure. It's like a super power.

When I think of various benefits that we reporters have at the Times, like getting paid out for accumulated comp days or being paid for an hour's work on weekends, I'm very clear that those kinds of rights didn't come out of thin air. They came because union members got together and fought for them. I've gotten more active in the past year, serving on the unit council and the bargaining committee, and it's been really exciting to be able to serve as a front line on behalf of our members. I'm the kind of person who speaks her mind and calls out injustice. It's pretty cool to know that, because I’m in the Guild, I can do that at work, too.

Bargaining for your job. What a concept! But it's true, for a business to stay in business it needs to earn more revenue than the cost of what it sells. This is where bargaining happens. I've been working since I was a teenager, and my employer has always earned more money than they've paid me. It's just the way things work. I work at a not for profit 501c3 company called Consumer Reports. One would think that revenue would come back to employees. And some of it does. But without a strong guild, more of the revenue would go towards things like lavish "company" parties, hiring friends and cronies to give advice for huge amounts of money, and allowing "managers" to fire people over the tone of their voice. There are tradeoffs. When I worked at a startup, I would sometimes put in 70 or 80 hours a week. This meant a few dollars more to me each week and overall success for the company. The CTO bought a 15 million dollar house. Things were great for those at the top. The rest trickled down. But who's to say that the head of the company deserved a salary 5, 10, 25, 100x what everyone else was earning? We all work hard. We all have different skills. Being part of the guild ensures that you get your FAIR share.

I am incredibly proud to be active in a Guild that has continually been at the forefront of fighting for the issues most important to me: diversity, equitable compensation, affordable healthcare. I have personally directly benefited from organizing with my colleagues using our Guild contract, winning raises for myself and several other colleagues who were wrongly classified and unfairly compensated. I admire the passion with which the Times Tech Guild has continued to push forward in the face of the company's union-busting tactics. With the election approaching, I only encourage you all to continue doing so. Being on the other side, I can't emphasize enough the community and safety that comes with having a union — it's that strength that has allowed us to be so vocal about how we can make this a better workplace, and that's been invaluable.

I was in the Guild as a news assistant. It was so helpful for me as a young, entry-level employee to have the support and camaraderie of what is essentially a community-based organization as I was trying to adapt to this massive, complex media company.

Being a Guild member provides me with more opportunities to make The New York Times a better place, not only for our employees but also for our readers. As a journalist who has covered major companies for years, I know that most businesses are loath to provide employees with information on hiring and retention practices, particularly ones that might demonstrate evidence of bias. But through the Guild, we have the right to access such data and use it to hold the company accountable. For example, Guild employees were able to obtain details of performance review results and use them to show that there was a statistically significant bias by race. I have worked at non-union shops and can tell you that, without our right to such data through our union, it would be practically impossible to have done this.

Never forget the power of collective action: Together, you really can change your workplace and your industry. I experienced this firsthand as the unit chair of the Sports Illustrated Union, where we earned a contract that creates a more equitable pay structure with a $64,000 salary floor, protects the integrity of our work and greatly improves the company's diversity, equity and inclusion standards. I'm proud to work now for another Guild shop with a strong contract, where the workers have a say in how things are run, and eagerly await the Times Tech Guild officially having the same.

I'm proud to be a Guild member because it ensures we can secure ourselves better pay and working conditions. Don't let them stop you from becoming one too! You have every right.

Big, strong unions are vital for the health and future of our industry, not just for journalists but all workers who contribute.

Being a Guild member and unionizing is without a doubt one of the best things I’ve ever done. Having status quo in place as we negotiate our first contract has meant we can ensure our members are getting paid equitably, protect their jobs, and even prevent layoffs. It’s been incredibly empowering and powerful for our shop.

Without our union we would be stripped of ALL of our benefits and would never get raises. Being part of the Guild helped me fight to get a promotion for doing higher-level work, which never would have happened had it just been me advocating to management.

I'm so incredibly proud to be part of the Guild. It's made me really understand the importance of community and solidarity in this industry. As a former freelancer, I didn't fully realize how daunted, stressed, and alone I felt until I joined my union and experienced a 180. We won major, tangible improvements with our first contract, and it was because of my union and the awe-inspiring support from Guild members across other shops. We achieve and will achieve so much more together.

I’m proud to be a Guild member because when we fight, we win! And every time we do it, we make it easier for every other worker who comes after us to do the same. Wirecutter Union took on the same management (with your support!) and won, and I am so excited for it to be your turn. NYT management has proven repeatedly that they're not willing to do it, so let's make this a better place to work together.

I’m a reporter at the Los Angeles Times and helped unionize our newsroom in 2018. Management then said a union would only divide us; instead, it taught me and my coworkers how to have each others’ backs. Management then said all our pay and benefits would be up for negotiation, and there was no guarantee we’d end up with a better deal; I joined our bargaining committee, and we won life-changing compensation increases. Management then said a union would make us less flexible; as president of our union, I now spend time every week helping fix everyday problems management doesn’t know how to fix so that our newsroom stays steady and strong. In the end, a union isn’t something you just vote for. It’s something you do. Vote yes, and do what it takes to make your union a great one.

I'm proud to be a Guild member because of the enormous, positive changes we've been able to affect at our workplace. I've worked at PCMag for 10 years, and in that time our concerns were rarely acted on and even basic improvements were out of reach. Forming our Union secured us fair pay, job security, and the protection to do our jobs. Our contract doesn't just protect us, it empowers us to do what we know is right. The Tech Guild has already had a long fight to get to this place, but it will be well worth it. Hang in there!

Throughout my years at Wirecutter, and especially during the pandemic (and Wirecutter's correlated growth), it's been made painfully obvious to me that the Times cares more about profits than people. Being part of our union has allowed me to fight against the negativity from the top. Of course there's the success in terms of the contract, which raised our minimum salaries significantly, set guaranteed annual increases, eliminated the use of NDAs, enacted just cause protections, and so much more, but just as importantly, there's the camaraderie that comes with it all. We are the only ones who are looking out for one another. We know the struggles we face, and the solutions to those problems. If we don't come together to advocate for better, no one is going to grant it. I wholly support the Tech Guild in your fight, and can't wait to welcome you as members of the Guild!

I'm proud to be part of raising the bar for our industry. When people have better working conditions, not only do they have better lives, but the work they create together prospers even more. I'm proud we fight for getting rid of NDAs in terms of harassment, so the workplace can be safer. I'm proud that we have the right to hold workplaces accountable for DEI, making actions match words and promises. I'm proud that we know that when we stand up together, we can create change.

I've been a Guild member for about two years, and it has been immensely rewarding and empowering to see my colleagues come together to challenge the status quo and create a work environment that is safe, supportive, energetic, effective, and meaningful for all of us. I have never once felt alone or vulnerable throughout our actions over the past few years, whether we were collectively sending emails or slack messages, striking, or negotiating at the bargaining table. I feel grateful to be part of such a strong unit, and proud of all that we've been able to accomplish.

I’m proud to know that I have certain protections in place now for better pay, improving diversity and inclusion, and more. I want all workers to be treated and compensated fairly, as well as opportunities to grow and excel. Being part of the Guild makes this more attainable, and I want this especially for the Times Tech Guild. We are always stronger when we act together.