Gray Lady Down! On Thursday 1,100 of the 1,450 unionized staff at the New York Times went on strike. For the first time in 40 years, the rag formally known as a newspaper (and presently used as a birdcage liner), has been hit with a 24-hour strike. The New York Times bills itself as the home for “All the News that is Fit to Print,” but not today.

All of this might come as a shock to RedState readers. Unless you’re into “Wordle” (I’ve never played) or the crossword puzzle or reading about how awful America is and was via rants like the 1619 Project, you might not have known the 1,100 people drinking 8-dollar lattes have decided that they are underpaid and overworked.

Elon Musk tweeted about it with appropriate, these words of wisdom: Woke v Woke

Woke v Woke pic.twitter.com/hmhC5eelik

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 8, 2022

Why is staff striking? Here is the news that is fit to print, digitally:

According to the New York Times (Yes I subscribe for my faithful readers):

Compensation remains the most contentious aspect of the negotiations. The Times has offered union members a 5.5 percent raise upon ratification of the contract, 3 percent raises in 2023 and 2024, and a 4 percent retroactive bonus to compensate for a lack of raises since the contract expired. The union has proposed a 10 percent raise upon ratification, 5.5 percent raises in 2023 and 2024, and an 8.5 percent retroactive bonus.

Other issues discussed during talks include return-to-work policies and the company’s performance rating system for employees. In a study it released in August, the union said the system was discriminatory.

“White Guild members were more likely to get the top ratings,” the study stated, “while Black and Hispanic members were more likely to get the lowest two ratings.”

After the union released that report, a team of senior managers at The Times studied ways to improve the rating process. In October, Marc Lacey, a managing editor, announced plans to update it.

“Our ultimate aim is to have a simpler system that everyone applies fairly and consistently, and to focus more on thoughtful feedback than ratings,” Mr. Lacey wrote.

There it is. Because “people of color” have been rated lower than their white counterparts, that must mean… “racism!”

Bari Weiss left the Gray Lady because it was no longer an environment that she could tolerate. Bari Weiss is a gay liberal. Weiss left because within the News Room, staff would rebel if there was any tilt to the center or, God forbid, a conservative voice allowed. When the Tom Cotton editorial ran, the now-striking NY Times unionized staff had a collective seizure. The editor in charge of the Cotton editorial was forced out and the Times ran a disclaimer at the top of the editorial that warned readers of the “awfulness” of [that] conservative opinion. The New York Times staff ignored the fact that Cotton turned out to be right.

The second in command at the NYGuild says:

We’re asking readers to not engage in any @nytimes platforms tomorrow and stand with us on the digital picket line! Read local news. Listen to public radio. Make something from a cookbook. Break your Wordle streak.

— Amanda Hess (@amandahess) December 7, 2022

While I was freelancing for the Los Angeles Times I learned of a similar revolt about the lack of color balance on Page 1 and that people of color were being treated unfairly. At one point staff were screaming at editors because they weren’t getting prime spots on the front page or assignments generally reserved for the best and most experienced journalists. The complainers were, typically people of color with little to no experience. Anything is possible if you cry “Racism!!”

So, my takeaway from today’s news about the “Gray Lady Down”.

Meh, stay down.