NY Times’ Wirecutter Union Calls for Reader Boycott, Pledges Black Friday Strike
HIT IN THE WALLET
Wirecutter’s union urged shoppers not to purchase holiday gifts through their site on Black Friday, which could financially impact The New York Times Company.
Unionized staffers at The New York Times’ product review website Wirecutter took drastic measures on Tuesday, calling upon readers not to buy items through their outlet and pledging to strike over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend due to a contract statemate with the paper’s management. “If we have not reached a deal by Black Friday, do not cross the picket line,” the union wrote in a petition, urging would-be shoppers not to purchase holiday gifts through the Wirecutter website. The strike could leave a financial mark on their parent company, as the boycott would come during the shopping frenzy of Black Friday, a historically lucrative day for Wirecutter. “Our staff works around the clock during the Black Friday shopping week, our busiest and most profitable time of year, putting in extra hours over the holiday to serve our readers,” the union wrote. “Our labor continues to bring in record revenue for the Times and helped to grow Wirecutter by 10k subscribers in the past quarter.” The Wirecutter union is represented by the NewsGuild, which includes staffers at other outlets like BuzzFeed News and The Daily Beast.
