Official announcement from The New York Times or The NewsGuild of New York

The Athletic's 200 U.S. Staff Seek to Join Times Guild After $550M Acquisition and Sports Desk Closure

Jan 6, 2025, 03:59 PM

The editorial staff of The Athletic, a sports media outlet owned by The New York Times, has announced its intention to unionize and join the Times Guild, which is part of the NewsGuild of New York. Approximately 200 U.S.-based editorial employees have signed cards signaling their desire to be recognized as part of the Times Guild, which would expand the union to nearly 1,700 members. The move comes after The New York Times acquired The Athletic for $550 million in 2022 and subsequently closed its own sports desk in September 2023, shifting all sports coverage to The Athletic. The Athletic's staff is seeking the same benefits and protections as other Times Guild members, including health care and job security. Katie Strang, a senior investigative reporter for The Athletic, emphasized the importance of preserving the outlet's quality, stating, 'Over the past several months, we have organized around the principle of preserving what makes The Athletic great — our staff, our work and our loyal readership.' The Times has acknowledged receiving the unionization request from A.G. Sulzberger and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien and is reviewing it. Susan DeCarava, president of The NewsGuild of New York, firmly stated, 'The Times must recognize these workers as part of the Times Guild. We will not support a two-tier system that disenfranchises workers and undermines our members, nor will we accept management’s charade that The Athletic is a separate entity.' Additionally, more than 70 Canadian-based employees of The Athletic have also announced their intent to unionize under The Athletic United.