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New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

washingtonpost.com

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Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#31

Post by johndhi »

bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

Good luck. I'm curious what you feel about the following:

These days news publications generally have a pretty weak business model and a lot of competition. Does it still make sense to have a union in this case? Why?

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#32

Post by lolinder »

conartist6 wrote: post #15
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

I rely on them to know what is going on, and tomorrow is the biggest day of every four years for needing to know what the heck is going on. I find your suggestion that I should consider the trust I've built with their news division destroyed on this day of all days ridiculous and irresponsible, especially given the fact that the timing of the strike was chosen to hurt me extremely badly if I should feel morally oblig…

> was chosen to hurt me extremely badly if I should feel morally obligated to follow your advice

A few sincere questions:

1. Are there no other news sources that you'd trust to convey the binary of 'who won the election?'

2. Assuming that there aren't, what negative effect would there be to you from not knowing the result of the election for a few days?

I'm sorta hoping that "hurt me extremely badly" is an exaggeration for effect. If not I'd suggest getting some perspective.

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#33

Post by Ekaros »

7thpower wrote: post #25
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

[flagged]

Well strikes are only effective when they hurt. I fully support aiming strikes at points of time when they have most impact. That is only way to show importance of the workers. Maybe excluding things like natural emergencies.

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#34

Post by almostgotcaught »

7thpower wrote: post #25
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

[flagged]

> This genuinely seems like extortion.

extortion implies extorionate demands. the demands here are ... checks notes ... remote work and protection from arbitrary termination.

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#35

Post by meibo »

7thpower wrote: post #25
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

[flagged]

That is what strikes are by definition, yes. It doesn't just seem like it. There is no other weapon workers can wield if they don't have a legal basis to make leadership meet their demands.

Obviously this can backfire in countries that don't have good union law and if you are too replaceable (hello AI).

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#36

Post by conartist6 »

dbalatero wrote: post #21
conartist6 wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I rely on them to know what is going on, and tomorrow is the biggest day of every four years for needing to know what the heck is going on. I find your suggestion that I should consider the trust I've built with their news division destroyed on this day of all days ridiculous and irresponsible, especially given the fact that the timing of the strike was chosen to hurt me extremely badly if I should feel morally oblig…

Times leadership knew this was coming and dragged their feet on negotiating.

I don't doubt it.

While I wholeheartedly support their legal right to organize, I am not required to celebrate at the cynicism of attempting to undermine faith in democracy to win a better job

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#38

Post by Cthulhu_ »

7thpower wrote: post #25
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

[flagged]

What do they protest against though? Exploitation.

Who has more power; employees or employers?

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#39

Post by bwestergard »

7thpower wrote: post #25
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

[flagged]

No one has a right, legally or morally, to another person's labor if they can't come to terms. Workers have power when they act together, and in this case are using that power strategically to advance their interests and those of many other workers.

If management were rational actors, they would have reached a deal at some point in the last two years of bargaining.

Re: New York Times Tech Guild goes on strike

#40

Post by rsynnott »

conartist6 wrote: post #15
bwestergard wrote: post #3

I am also a member of the union at NPR, on the subway headed to the picket line in solidarity right now. Happy to answer any questions. I encourage everyone to respect the picket line and get your news elsewhere until the workers get a deal. The Times Workers are holding the line against arbitrary return to office mandates and for Just Cause protections. The vast majority of HN consists of developers, designers, QA,…

I rely on them to know what is going on, and tomorrow is the biggest day of every four years for needing to know what the heck is going on. I find your suggestion that I should consider the trust I've built with their news division destroyed on this day of all days ridiculous and irresponsible, especially given the fact that the timing of the strike was chosen to hurt me extremely badly if I should feel morally oblig…

The thing is, if people only go on strikes at times when it would be convenient to customers of the employer, then strikes wouldn't be particularly effective.

(There actually are strikes which are consciously run on this basis, but mostly only in the most safety-critical fields.)

Like, it's not as if the NYTimes was unaware that it'd be a big news week; you should probably be blaming management more than anyone else here.

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