I think the NYT should take him up on that offer. Those striking can probably pull off a 404media business model instead while they watch NYT turn into USA Today, except worse.
But they write software for NYTimes, they don't write journalism.
Additionally NYTimes benefits from huge networks effects – both in that they are a comprehensive source of (reasonably) reliable journalism which attracts lots of readers but also that they know lots of sources. It also helps that it's one of the better newspapers around (probably second to the FT).
