NYT Wirecutter staffers announce strike through Cyber Monday

The New York Times’ Wirecutter staffers announced they will go on strike from Black Friday through Cyber Monday to protest contract negotiations. 

The four-day period is one of the busiest stretches of the year for the product-review site owned by The New York Times.

The 65 unionized staffers want a wage increase of 2.5 percent each year and higher minimum salaries, while The New York Times has only offered merit-based wages and a guarantee of a 1 percent wage increase each year, Nick Guy, the Wirecutter Union unit chair, told The Wall Street Journal. 

“The past two years of bargaining have only reinforced what our unit is worth. Wirecutter contributes significantly to the Times’ hearty bottom line, and that figure is growing as we reach a much larger audience and increase our revenue with subscriptions,” Guy said. 

The union is also encouraging consumers to boycott the website on Cyber Monday to support their efforts. 

In a statement to The Hill, The New York Times said it has “a long history of productive relationships with unions to advance our shared objectives.”

“We’re actively working with the Wirecutter Union to reach a collective bargaining agreement that continues to reward our employees for their work and contributions to The Times’s success, and we look forward to continuing those negotiations at the bargaining table in early December,” said Danielle Rhoades Ha, vice president of communications at the Times.

The New York Times reported $93 million in adjusted operating profit on $499 million in revenue in the second quarter of 2021.

The Wirecutter Union created a GoFundMe with the goal of raising $25,000 to make up for the missing wages with the strike. Guy said had raised more than $35,000 as of Thursday morning.