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  • New York Times tech staff may walk off the job on Election Day amid ongoing contract disputes

    New York Times tech staff may walk off the job on Election Day amid ongoing contract disputes

    Hundreds of technology workers at the embattled New York Times may vote to walk off the job on Tuesday if the company does not meet their job demands.

    The threatened Election Day walkout, which could critically hamper the paper’s coverage of the presidential vote, comes amid stalled negotiations between the two sides, the Wall Street Journal said.

    “We have made it clear that we must reach an agreement before the election in order to avoid a strike,” the union’s bargaining team wrote to the Times board of directors asking its members to intervene.

    The New York Times Technical Association, which represents about 600 workers at the company, could walk off the job on Election Day. NurPhoto via Getty Images
    The possible departure is said to affect the paper’s coverage of Tuesday’s election. AP

    The stance of the Guild, which represents software engineers, data analysts and designers at The Gray Lady, marks the first test of the union’s labor muscle since it was formed in 2022, the paper said.

    According to the union, members voted to walk off the job by a 95% margin in September if the company does not meet their demands, which include job security in the face of improving AI technology and equal pay for women and union members. minorities.

    Election Day, especially in a presidential election year, typically provides a big spike in readership for news organizations, as is expected to be the case Tuesday with a tight race between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris.

    A Times spokesman told the Journal that the union’s deadline seemed “arbitrary” and said the election day choice “feels both unnecessary and contrary to our mission.”

    The Times Tech Guild, with about 600 members, was formed in 2022 but has yet to have a contract with the company. NurPhoto via Getty Images
    Readership typically booms during presidential elections, as Vice President Kamala Harris faces off against former President Donald Trump. AP

    However, the spokesman said the newspaper has “strong plans to ensure we are able to fulfill our mission and serve our readers”.

    The guild hasn’t had a contract since its founding, but newspaper officials note that its members are among the highest paid at the company with most earning six-figure salaries — with compensation and stock options worth about $190,000 on average.

    “We look forward to continuing to work with the Tech Guild to reach a fair contract, given that they are already among the highest paid individual contributors at the company and journalism is our top priority,” a Times spokesperson said in an email. . on sunday.

    “We are in one of the most important periods of coverage for our readers,” they said.

    On a recent Saturday, union members gathered at Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn for the benefits.

    The Guild did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Post on Sunday.

    #York #Times #tech #staff #walk #job #Election #Day #ongoing #contract #disputes
    Image Source : nypost.com

  • Google accused of imposing ‘illegal order’ blocking workers from discussing antitrust cases

    Google accused of imposing ‘illegal order’ blocking workers from discussing antitrust cases

    A union representing Google employees is demanding that the tech giant lift what it called an “illegal gag order” barring them from discussing landmark antitrust cases that could upend the company’s business.

    On August 5, US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that Google is a “monopolist” with an illegal stranglehold on the Internet search market.

    That same day, Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, instructed employees not to comment on the case inside or outside the workplace.

    Google’s president of global affairs, Kent Walker, told employees not to comment on the case. Getty Images

    The Alphabet Workers Union alleges Walker violated a federal labor law with “overly board directive” in an effort to “increase workers’ say” in antitrust battles, according to a copy of the Aug. 15 filing obtained by The Post.

    “Our employer continues to demonstrate a blatant disregard for federal labor law and our right to discuss working conditions with co-workers – up to and including proposed settlements of federal antitrust actions that could affect many of our jobs in Google,” said Parul Koul, one. Google software engineer and president of the Alphabet Workers Union.

    Mehta is expected to decide on legal remedies to address Google’s search monopoly by next summer.

    The Justice Department recently indicated it could seek a breakup of Google through a forced divestment of parts of its business, such as its Chrome web browser.

    Google disputed the union’s complaint.

    “We respect the rights of Google employees to speak out about their terms and conditions of employment,” Google spokesman Peter Schottenfels said in a statement. “As is standard practice, we are simply asking that employees not speak about ongoing litigation on behalf of Google without prior approval.”

    The Verge was the first to report on the complaint.

    Google is accused of stifling workers’ discussion of pending antitrust cases against the company. Christopher Sadowski

    The labor complaint is the latest sign of discord between Google and its workforce. In April, the tech giant fired dozens of employees who were involved in anti-Israel protests at its offices.

    A separate DOJ antitrust case targeting Google’s alleged monopoly over digital ad technology is also underway. Closing arguments in that case are scheduled to begin next month.

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai has acknowledged that the company will likely be tied up in court for many years as it fights the cases.

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai has said the company will be tied up in court for many years. AP

    In a lengthy statement, the Alphabet Workers Union said it is “important that workers are engaged and that our views and interests are taken into account during the decision-making process around antitrust remedies.”

    “That hasn’t happened yet,” the union added.

    Google has vowed to appeal the judge’s decision and has waived the legal remedies proposed by the DOJ – calling it a “radical” framework that would go “far beyond the specific legal issues in this case”.

    #Google #accused #imposing #illegal #order #blocking #workers #discussing #antitrust #cases
    Image Source : nypost.com