New York Times' reporters highlight contract push at newspaper's 175th anniversary gala

Around 20 editorial staffers at the New York Times rallied to highlight their push for a new collective bargaining agreement outside a gala celebrating the newspaper's 175th anniversary in Tribeca on Sept. 17.

“This is a show of unity,” said senior editor and Times Guild Unit Chair Jim Luttrell. “It’s a message to the management: Congratulations on 175 years. We’re very proud of it, but don't forget that we’re a big part of why you’ve been here for 175 years and we think you should value that and reward us right now today with the contract we deserve.”

The Times Guild, a bargaining unit of the NewsGuild of New York, comprises around 1,500 reporters, editors, photographers and more workers at The New York Times. The union’s contract expired on Feb. 28 and it has been negotiating a new deal with management since January. 

Workers say they are fighting for five core priorities: wages, healthcare, protections against artificial intelligence, hybrid work flexibility and keeping union jobs within the union.

A flyer that workers passed out to those walking into the gala stated that “Times management has the money to support a healthy workforce – but they are choosing not to. That’s going to cost the company and its journalism more in the long run.”

Luttrell, who’s worked at The Times for 31 years, said the message that the union has received from management is “the company doesn’t want to spend their money on us,” and that it doesn’t “value us in the way that they should.”

He added that The Times is focusing on “rewarding stockholders and paying executive compensation instead of taking care of the workers who make this the place that it is.”

Management and union blame each other for delay

Workers at the rally said they’re ready to reach a deal and blamed management for slowing the process. Negotiations for the guild’s last contract lasted two years before they reached a deal in 2023. 

In an email obtained by The Chief from the company’s management sent to union members on Sept. 18, management pointed the finger back at the guild, writing that a recent counterproposal from the guild included desires “that do not seem aimed at bringing these talks to a close anytime soon.”

“An agreement, and the raises that go along with it, is likely still very far away,” management wrote in the email.

The email added that, as negotiations drag on, guild members have missed out on “an average of $2,900 in increases since January 2026 and a $2,000 ratification bonus."

“What we keep hearing from so many of you is that wages and health care are the most important things to focus on, and that you want to get this done soon,” management wrote. “But what we heard from Guild leadership this week is that everything from digital subscriptions for retirees to reprint fees should be considered in the same breath as these important topics — a recipe for a long drawn out process, while Guild members are losing money.”

Management disagreed with the guild’s medical proposal, writing that the healthcare plan is outdated and can’t keep up with rising costs, noting it will “continually teeter on the brink of running out of money” unless it’s modernized and structurally changed.

“We must work together to find solutions now and not waste time,” the email said.

'Raise basic standards across the industry'

Jenny Vrentas, a business reporter at The Times and the vice chair of the Times Guild, said the union is not asking for more than the company can afford.

“We are simply asking for all of the contributions we make to all parts of The New York Times to be reflected in their proposals at the bargaining table,” Vrentas said.

She added that The Times sets high standards for its journalism and workers want those same standards to apply to how the company treats its workers. A win for Times workers could spread to other newsrooms across the country amid a tumultuous time for the journalism industry.

“We recognize the profile and the scope and the influence that we have as workers at the New York Times,” Vrentas said. “I hope we can continue to work together with other workers in the news industry across the country to make sure that we raise basic standards across the industry.”