17 votes

The New York Times Tech Union vote count starts this morning, and we made a live vote tracker!

10 comments

  1. [5]
    smores
    (edited )
    Link
    UPDATE: We won!! Some votes are still being counted, but it looks to be a landslide (which is what we expected!) Thanks for following along, so glad to be able to share this victory with you all!...

    UPDATE: We won!! Some votes are still being counted, but it looks to be a landslide (which is what we expected!)

    Thanks for following along, so glad to be able to share this victory with you all!

    From the Vote Count Tracker page:

    This vote determines whether or not our union is certified, and is decided by a simple majority (50% +1 vote) of total ballots. The vertical line in the center of the bar graph indicates the number of votes needed to decide the outcome.

    Before each ballot is counted, either party can challenge a ballot. If management has reason to doubt a voter’s current employment status, signature, or eligibility, for example, they can challenge the ballot. The NLRB officer can accept or dismiss the challenge. If the challenge is accepted, the ballot is set aside and will only be counted if all challenged ballots are determinative for the outcome.

    The NLRB will first count unchallenged ballots. If a simple majority of total ballots is reached in the initial count, our union will be officially certified. Otherwise, challenged ballots will be reviewed for eligibility and counted.

    We're still waiting for the actual counting to start (it should begin shortly!). I'll comment here when it begins!

    4 votes
    1. [4]
      AugustusFerdinand
      Link Parent
      Anyone know if NYT hired any of the union busting firms to run counter to this unionization effort?

      Anyone know if NYT hired any of the union busting firms to run counter to this unionization effort?

      2 votes
      1. [3]
        smores
        Link Parent
        They did! They've been relying on the fairly notorious Proskauer Rose law firm since day one, and have pursued (sometimes illegal!) union-busting tactics the entire time.

        They did! They've been relying on the fairly notorious Proskauer Rose law firm since day one, and have pursued (sometimes illegal!) union-busting tactics the entire time.

        5 votes
        1. [2]
          AugustusFerdinand
          Link Parent
          Now that the union buster lost, by a landslide, I wonder if NYT will ask for a refund. Man, I'd love to see the fallout of a lawsuit against a union busting firm that fails. Won't happen, but I...

          Now that the union buster lost, by a landslide, I wonder if NYT will ask for a refund. Man, I'd love to see the fallout of a lawsuit against a union busting firm that fails.

          Won't happen, but I can dream.

          4 votes
          1. kfwyre
            Link Parent
            That’s been my drumbeat regarding American education for years now. Many companies provide tons of interventions at cost to address the problem of “failing” schools, but after they’ve got our...

            That’s been my drumbeat regarding American education for years now.

            Many companies provide tons of interventions at cost to address the problem of “failing” schools, but after they’ve got our money and we’re still deemed “failing”, how come we don’t get that cash back?

            Of course I know why.

            6 votes
  2. [2]
    scrambo
    Link
    This is super exciting! Glad I caught this on the tail end! w9oooooooo congrats!!<\details>

    This is super exciting! Glad I caught this on the tail end!

    w9oooooooo congrats!!<\details>
    3 votes
    1. smores
      Link Parent
      Woo!! Thank you!!

      Woo!! Thank you!!

      3 votes
  3. [3]
    smores
    Link
    Ok!! It took much longer than expected to simply count how many total ballots there are, but the vote counting has finally actually started, and the site is updating live!

    Ok!! It took much longer than expected to simply count how many total ballots there are, but the vote counting has finally actually started, and the site is updating live!

    2 votes
    1. [2]
      AugustusFerdinand
      (edited )
      Link Parent
      Watching the count and someone slipped a finger as the "yes" results jumped to 246% all of a sudden. Spoiler If it passes, the site drops confetti as I just learned when it "passed" due to the...

      Watching the count and someone slipped a finger as the "yes" results jumped to 246% all of a sudden.

      Spoiler

      If it passes, the site drops confetti as I just learned when it "passed" due to the input slip.

      Edit 1: Looks like it'll be a landslide unless there's a batch of "No" in the stack somewhere.

      Edit 2: And they've voted to unionize! Now starts the uphill, and oft-delayed by shady company practices, battle of contract negotiations. I'm going to take a guess at final count being... 81% yes to 19% no.

      3 votes
      1. smores
        Link Parent
        It's gonna be brutal, for sure, but it's going to be so worth it, and we're so energized right now!!

        It's gonna be brutal, for sure, but it's going to be so worth it, and we're so energized right now!!

        3 votes