I can't imagine that the strike was not timed. I suppose the idea is that the management may say "come on, let's quickly solve it and get back to the really imp

I can't imagine that the strike was not timed. I suppose the idea is that the management may say "come on, let's quickly solve it and get back to the really important issues", if this indeed can be solved quickly. E.g. by saying that WFH is officially allowed for another year, or something similar, that actually requires no change except some change of heart among the higher-ups. Not having this solved well ahead of time speaks poorly of NYT overlords. My trust in NYT has deteriorated quite a bit over the years :(