New York Times tech workers vote to unionize

Tech workers at The New York Times voted to unionize, becoming the largest active tech union in the country.

A National Labor Relations Board vote Thursday resulted in a majority of the more than 500 software engineers and product designers who cast ballots deciding to unionize.

The tech workers will be represented by the NewsGuild-CWA, the union that already includes The Times's newsroom.

"The National Labor Relations Board has confirmed what we have known to be true: support for a union is strong among tech workers at the New York Times," the Tech Guild said. "With this election result, the hundreds of us who work on New York Times websites and apps will finally have a real seat at the table and a meaningful say in our pay, benefits, and working conditions."

"Now that our colleagues have made their voices heard through a formal election, we look forward to working cooperatively with the Guild to negotiate in good faith, establishing a contract for the new unit and continuing to support our talented technology and digital staff," Danielle Rhoades Ha, a spokesperson for the Times, said in a statement.

The Times Tech Guild first went public with its intent to unionize last April.

The paper declined to voluntarily recognize the union, saying that management had heard concerns from tech workers about what a union would mean for them.

The company also tried to stop the election from happening over concerns about the proposed bargaining unit but was unsuccessful.

The union filed a claim of unfair labor practices against The Times for allegedly interfering in the organizing campaign. The Times denied having done so, but National Labor Relations Board officials found merit in the argument.

The tech worker union's victory follows a string of labor wins in media and comes as workers in technology are becoming more active in organizing.

Updated at 6:56 p.m.