For the first time in its history, employees at ProPublica, a prominent nonprofit newsroom, have initiated a 24-hour work stoppage.
Unionized staff members at ProPublica commenced a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, urging the public to observe a digital picket line in solidarity.
The approximately 150 members of the ProPublica Guild, who unionized in 2023, are currently engaged in negotiations for their inaugural collective bargaining agreement. The union highlights several critical issues that remain unresolved, including safeguards concerning the application of artificial intelligence, "just cause" provisions for employee discipline or termination, protections against layoffs, and equitable wages.
“We’ve been working to resolve this quietly for over two years,” stated Katie Campbell, a ProPublica Guild member. She added, “This is a moment to make clear to management and to the public how important these issues are to the people who produce this work.”
In March, the union unit had previously voted to authorize a strike should an agreement not be reached with ProPublica management.
A central point of contention leading to the walkout is the future integration of generative AI at ProPublica and the transparency surrounding its disclosure to audiences. This issue reflects a broader trend, as numerous newsroom unions are negotiating AI-related contract language for the first time, following the widespread accessibility of these tools in recent years. ProPublica management recently implemented an AI policy, which Mark Olalde, a member of the bargaining committee, characterized as “unilateral implementation.” Consequently, The NewsGuild, representing ProPublica staff, filed an unfair labor practice charge earlier this week regarding this policy's rollout.
“The guidelines are a little bit squishy because there’s a general agreement that we’re not using [AI] to write, we’re not using it to create photos, videos, things like that at this point,” Olalde explained. He further noted, “What’s on the website is really as far as the company has written things formally, which is why we’re trying to enshrine some of these things in an AI article in the contract.”
The adoption of AI varies across newsrooms. The New York Times, for instance, has utilized AI to assist reporters in analyzing documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, while ProPublica reporters themselves employed AI tools in their investigation into the reduction of diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at nonprofits. Conversely, an editor at Fortune has reportedly overseen the production of hundreds of stories generated by AI.
ProPublica staff hold diverse perspectives on AI in the workplace, according to Campbell, whose union represents editorial staff—including reporters and editors—as well as development and product teams. Some employees view AI as a valuable tool for automating routine tasks, thereby allowing them to focus on more substantive work.
“I think that 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 and core functions that can be done better by humans, I think that’s kind of the thing that some folks are struggling with,” Campbell elaborated.
Ultimately, workers are seeking protections against AI-induced layoffs and desire input into how these tools are utilized as both the industry and technology continue to evolve. The union also advocates for mandatory public disclosures whenever AI is employed in the creation of stories.
To support the 24-hour work stoppage, the union is asking readers and audiences to refrain from visiting ProPublica’s website, clicking on its stories, or engaging with its content on other platforms and through partner organizations. ProPublica management did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the strike.
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