This is a big deal. My former colleagues in the New York Times Tech Guild have declared a strike today in response to a number of unfair labor practice violations and management’s inability to bargain in good faith. From the Washington Post:

Represented by the NewsGuild of New York, the Tech Guild has been negotiating its first contract with the company since 2022. Both sides have accused the other side of bogging down contract talks, which have recently focused on three key issues: “just cause” job protections (which ensure employees can’t be fired without reason and due process), remote work and pay equity. Unit members voted overwhelmingly in September to authorize the strike, saying the timing of the authorization — in the run-up to the high-profile election period — was “no accident.”

I urge you to join me in supporting the strike fund, which will help more vulnerable members to weather the strike.

Beyond that, the Guild asks supporters to refrain from interacting with Cooking and Games, and to break your streaks. Times reporters Maggie Astor has the details:

As of this morning, the New York Times Tech Guild, which represents NYT tech workers, is on strike.

Unless it’s resolved while today’s Wordle is still live, this streak is gone.

NYT Games and Cooking are BEHIND THE PICKET LINE. Please don’t play or engage with Games or Cooking content while the strike lasts!

News coverage is NOT behind the picket line. It’s okay to read and share that, though the site and app may have problems.

Read the whole thread for more information, which, as she says, “the rules may not be what you think!”