ProPublica staff strike over AI policy, layoffs and wages
Key Points
- Approximately 150 ProPublica staff members commenced a 24‑hour strike on Wednesday.
- Union demands include AI usage safeguards, "just cause" discipline, layoff protections and wage increases.
- The guild filed an unfair‑labor‑practice charge over a newly introduced AI policy deemed unilateral.
- ProPublica management has not responded to requests for comment.
- The union urges readers to avoid ProPublica content during the digital picket line.
About 150 members of the ProPublica Guild walked off the job for a 24‑hour strike on Wednesday, demanding safeguards on artificial‑intelligence use, stronger layoff protections, "just cause" discipline rules and higher pay. The union, which voted in March to authorize a work stoppage, also called on readers to avoid the nonprofit newsroom’s content during the protest. Management has not responded to requests for comment as the NewsGuild files an unfair‑labor‑practice charge over a newly imposed AI policy.
Roughly 150 journalists, editors and support staff at ProPublica, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit newsrooms, began a 24‑hour walkout on Wednesday. The stoppage marks the first major action since the newsroom’s staff unionized in 2023 and follows a March vote that empowered the guild to strike if collective‑bargaining talks stalled.
Union representatives say the strike targets four core demands: clear protections around the use of generative artificial intelligence, "just cause" provisions that would require solid justification before disciplining or firing employees, stronger safeguards against layoffs and a wage increase. "We’ve been working to resolve this quietly for over two years," said Katie Campbell, a member of the ProPublica Guild, emphasizing the urgency of the issues for those who produce the newsroom’s investigative work.
ProPublica’s management recently rolled out an AI policy that the bargaining committee describes as a unilateral move. Mark Olalde, who sits on the committee, called the guidelines "a little bit squishy," noting that the policy currently prohibits using AI to write articles or create visual content but leaves other applications vague. The NewsGuild filed an unfair‑labor‑practice charge earlier this week, alleging that management bypassed the bargaining process.
The dispute arrives at a moment when newsrooms across the United States are grappling with AI’s role. The New York Times, for instance, has employed AI tools to sift through documents in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, while ProPublica reporters have used similar technology in a probe of nonprofit diversity initiatives. At the opposite end of the spectrum, a Fortune editor reportedly generated hundreds of stories using AI alone.
Within ProPublica, opinions on AI vary. Some staff view the technology as a productivity boost that can automate routine tasks, freeing reporters for deeper reporting. Others worry that AI could replace core journalistic functions and lead to job cuts. "There are times when it can be very ethically, fairly, and accurately used as a tool, but when it starts to replace work that humans do… that's the concern many of us share," Campbell explained.
Beyond the AI debate, the union seeks explicit layoff protections tied to the adoption of new technology, as well as public disclosures whenever AI contributes to a story. To amplify pressure, the guild has asked audiences to honor a digital picket line by refraining from visiting ProPublica’s website, clicking on its stories or engaging with its content on partner platforms.
Management has not issued a statement in response to the strike or the unfair‑labor‑practice filing. The outcome of the 24‑hour work stoppage remains uncertain, but the action underscores growing tensions between newsroom labor groups and newsroom leadership as the industry navigates the rapid integration of artificial intelligence.