Hundreds of New York Times Employees Walk Out to Protest Copy Editor Layoffs

Hundreds of New York Times employees, members CWA-NewsGuild of New York, walked off the job last Thursday to protest layoffs set to eliminate up to half of the newspaper's copy editors.

The copy editors sent a letter to Times management demanding that they reconsider the layoffs.

"Cutting us down to 50-55 editors from more than 100, and expecting the same level of quality, is dumbfoundingly unrealistic. Work with us on a new number," the letter reads.

New York Times reporters also sent a letter to Times management in solidarity with their colleagues in the editing department, asking that management reconsider its plan to "restructure" the newsroom by eliminating copy and photo editor positions.

The letter stresses that no past layoffs or buyouts in New York Times history "were as destructive to morale – nor, we fear, as destructive to The Times – as this one. It is something different in kind."

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Hundreds of NY Times employees walked out to protest copy editor layoffs.