Journalists at the New York Times Co.’s Wirecutter unit plan to strike during the product review website’s peak traffic period around Black Friday, joining a recent wave of threatened work stoppages by U.S. workers.
Over 90% of Wirecutter union members have voted to authorize a work stoppage lasting one or more days in late November, according to the NewsGuild, which represents around 1,300 other editorial and business workers at the Times. Two years ago the union secured recognition at Wirecutter as well. Black Friday is Nov. 26 this year, the day after the Thanksgiving holiday, when retailers count on a huge bump in holiday shopping.
Members plan to protest what they say is the company’s refusal to agree to an initial collective bargaining agreement with significant guaranteed wage increases. They say the company is offering across-the-board raises of only 0.5% per year, with additional pay subject to management’s discretion about who deserves it.
A Times spokesperson did not immediately comment in response to an inquiry.