More than 1,000 New York Times union employees plan walkout over wages

(Reuters) -More than 1,000 union employees at the New York Times Co have pledged to walk out if the news publisher does not agree to a “complete and equitable contract” by Dec. 8, according to a tweet by the union on Friday.

The NYT NewsGuild has sought wages that “keep up with inflation” as well as to preserve and enhance health insurance and retirement benefits that were promised during hiring, according to a letter signed by 1,036 members.

“We will walk out and stop work for 24 hours, on Thursday, Dec. 8, if we do not have a deal for a complete and equitable contract by then,” the letter read.

The members of the union are also asking for remote work flexibility, among other demands.

A NYT spokesperson said “while we are disappointed that the NewsGuild is threatening to strike, we are prepared to ensure The Times continues to serve our readers without disruption,” adding that the company’s current wage proposal offered “significant increases.”

Earlier in March, a group of nearly 600 tech employees at the New York Times voted to unionize as the company faced claims it unlawfully interfered with labor organizing.

In August, nearly 300 Thomson Reuters Corp journalists in the United States, represented by the same NewsGuild, also staged a 24-hour strike as the union negotiates with the company for a new three-year contract.

(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Rosalba O’Brien)