Overview
- The ProPublica Guild, which represents about 150 staffers, held a 24-hour walkout Wednesday with picket lines in New York, Chicago and Washington and urged readers to honor a digital picket line.
- The work stoppage followed a Monday filing with the National Labor Relations Board that accuses management of imposing an AI policy without bargaining.
- Union negotiators seek contract language on generative AI use and disclosure, just-cause discipline, seniority-based layoff rules and higher, more even pay, and talks continue without a first contract.
- ProPublica says it previewed its AI principles to the union, has never conducted layoffs and remains committed to a fair first deal while saying it is too soon to know how AI will affect its work.
- The walkout was described as the first strike at a major U.S. newsroom tied to AI protections, reflecting wider fights over newsroom AI at outlets including the New York Times, McClatchy papers and Politico.