Over 1100 workers at the New York Times went on a one-day strike on Dec. 8 for the first time in over four decades as they fought for a fair contract.

   According to the Washington Post, members of the New York Times Guild claimed that this strike was caused by over a year of negotiations with no results. Workers at the Times feel that they should receive a higher raise each year, a 5.5% raise, and they feel that the minimum salary should be higher. The wages have simply not increased as much as inflation has which caused workers to feel that they were paid unfairly. Despite their best efforts, workers were forced to resort to a strike so that their voices would be heard.

   As stated by the Washington Post, “Other staffers have expressed concern that some colleagues are earning salaries that have not kept up with the cost of living in one of the nation’s most expensive cities — some taking second jobs or dipping into retirement savings to make ends meet — and that all have been hurt by wages that haven’t kept up with inflation.”

   Amidst the strike, editors on the paper found themselves forced to do the work that would normally be completed by the writers. However, they were successful in their efforts to push out news stories for the entirety of the day on their website. They quickly covered the release of Brittney Griner and even published their own article that detailed the strike. In their article on the strike, they stated that the union and the company had shown minimal progress in their negotiation for an agreement. 

   The livelihood of workers is at stake which causes the extreme measures taken to be entirely necessary. As New York City is the most expensive city in the world to live in, unfair wages from a prosperous company do not suffice.