Times Reaches Tentative Deal With Newspaper Guild

The New York Times said Sunday night that it had reached a tentative agreement with the Newspaper Guild, setting the stage for a new labor contract after more than 18 months of negotiations.

In a message to the staff, the executive editor, Jill Abramson, said the paper and the union had agreed “in concept” on a new five-year contract. She said that at the request of the mediator, Martin Scheinman, no further details would be forthcoming because the agreement still needs to be put in writing.

Mr. Scheinman was appointed as mediator on Oct. 10 after negotiators remained at odds over issues like pensions, wages and health care benefits. In recent weeks, members of the newsroom have staged several labor-related actions, including a gathering in the lobby of the Times headquarters where employees held signs with messages for the incoming chief executive, Mark Thompson.