A Times news article on the state of contract negotiations between the Long Island Rail Road and its employee unions goes on for more than 400 words without reporting how much money the workers make each year. From the article:
The unions have indeed called for 17 percent raises, but over six years, not seven. The authority's proposal also requires new employees, hired after the potential ratification, to contribute 4 percent of their salaries toward the cost of their health insurance. Current employees would be asked to contribute 2 percent. Under the expired agreement, employees did not contribute any of their salaries to health care.
All the talk of percentages isn't much help without knowing what the average salaries of the workers are, or what the starting salaries are, or what the salaries top out at for veteran employees. It's a pet peeve of mine in news coverage of labor negotiations — the reporters talk about the percentages without reporting the salaries. It makes it harder for readers to judge for themselves whether the union demands are reasonable.