Last Thursday, more than 1,100 New York Times journalists and other staff members walked off the job in a historic 24 hour strike, punctuating nearly two years of contract negotiations over better compensation, pensions and healthcare benefits. Despite the image of prestige that working at a legacy news outlet conjures, workers describe being unable to make ends meet on the pay the Times provides. 

The situation is similar for part-time faculty at The New School, a private university with a public image bolstered by its history of fostering radical inquiry. These 2,600 adjuncts teach nearly 90% of the school's classes, but many say they work multiple jobs due to low pay. The portion who were teaching this semester recently ended the longest adjunct strike in U.S. history — three weeks.

These labor disputes are an expression of the inherent tension for mission-driven creative and intellectual workers: holding management accountable while continuing to be accountable to the public they serve.

We're joined by Alex Press, labor reporter and staff writer at Jacobin Magazine, and Natasha Lennard, columnist at The Intercept and part-time faculty member at The New School.