With a unanimous vote, the Times Guild Unit Council and The Athletic’s contract action team approved a statement opposing the company’s potential deal for The Athletic to partner with Kalshi. As unionized workers at The New York Times, they are deeply concerned by the partnership, citing Kalshi’s prediction markets as described by New York officials in their reporting as an “illegal operation.” They argue any such partnership would threaten journalistic independence across the company, despite management’s claim that The Athletic and The New York Times are separate business entities. The workers emphasize that journalism and work are intertwined, as readers can see.

Prediction markets like Kalshi, which allow users to bet on real-world events, pose as reliable data sources but operate without the accountability of fact-based reporting. An investigation by New York’s attorney general found Kalshi’s platform to be an “illegal, unlicensed gambling operation” exposing users to serious personal and financial risk. The Guild warns that a partnership beyond advertising — especially one integrating Kalshi into The Athletic’s journalism — could cause readers to question their independence when reporting on prediction markets.

Such a deal would also validate Kalshi’s data as a credible future indicator, which facts disprove. Citing New York Times publisher A. G.

Sulzberger’s assertion that journalistic independence is the “core value” answering why the Times deserves public trust, the workers call on the company to uphold that commitment and abandon the deal.