Unionized Wirecutter Editorial Workers Win New Contract

NEW YORK – The unionized journalists behind The New York Times’s Wirecutter have unanimously approved a new three-year contract, a direct result of their commitment to securing a fair contract that recognizes and rewards their contributions. 

Wirecutter Union represents about 100 editorial workers that power the product recommendation service from The New York Times. Their union is part of the NewsGuild of New York, the labor union that represents nearly 6,000 media workers. They had been working under an expired contract since Feb. 28.

“We are so proud of what our bargaining committee was able to accomplish at the table with the rock-solid support of our entire unit,” said Sarah Witman, senior staff writer for Wirecutter and a member of the bargaining committee. “Our members showed their dedication to this process through collective actions, including email and slack messaging campaigns, a unit-wide strike pledge, and observing the bargaining process over Zoom. In a relatively short time, we were able to greatly expand and solidify protections for our members.”

Among the highlights of the new contract:

• A new wage floor of $66,300 (increasing each year of the agreement) with general wages increases ranging from 9.5% to 18.5% over the life of the three- year contract.
• A $3,000 ratification bonus 
• Members can now take a month of paid sabbatical leave after 10 continuous years of employment 
• Fertility benefits enshrined in the contract 
• New language that limits temp and casual work to incentivize full- time hires
• New language ensuring expedited payout of overtime 
• New requirements granting transparency around the procurement of AI 
• New scheduling protections to help ensure a fair work/life balance
• Stronger protections for remote workers

“Anyone who is familiar with our coverage of events like Black Friday or Prime Day knows we have the highest standards when it comes to deals, and this contract is no exception,”’ said James Austin, Wirecutter staff writer and the unit’s vice chair. “The improvements that we were able to get in this contract—including higher salary floors, better remote work protections, and higher guaranteed raises for our members—were earned through our solidarity and steadfast refusal to accept anything less than what we deserve. “