ProPublica union workers announced a 24-hour strike on Wednesday, walking off the job in demand for better working conditions and job guarantees. As we’ve seen with tech and entertainment, the journalism industry is facing similar disruptions within the workforce, with AI threatening jobs and businesses investing in reorganization efforts to redirect their organizational strategies.
Wary of these changes and preempting future actions from the organization, ProPublica Guild union workers are protesting for layoff protections and other safeguards that free them to continue upholding the non-profit publication’s reputation as one of the leading institutions of investigative journalism. The ProPublica strike also has us revisiting the ongoing discussions around AI and the way the technology is being championed in 2026.
ProPublica union members launch a 24-Hour strike to demand that their employers finally seal the deal on a contract that meets their needs. (Image: Pexels)
ProPublica Guild Union Goes on 24-Hour Strike to Secure a Contract with Protections Against Layoffs
Unions have long been a staple of operations, providing workers with added protections and a community to fall back on, but for just as long, employers have continued to resist union activity. Even when workers do manage to formalize their decision to unionize, settling on a contract can take years of negotiations. The ProPublica Guild, represented by the NewsGuild of New York, unionized in 2023 and currently represents around 150 workers.
The ProPublica union strike comes after 28 months of bargaining have failed to result in a contract that is satisfactory to both parties. This delay has left employees turning to more extreme measures to bring attention to the situation and urge the organization to cooperate.
After announcing its decision to strike last month, ProPublica union members began their 24-hour walkout on Wednesday to protest the delays. The strike included picket lines outside the company’s New York City headquarters, as well as in Chicago and Washington, D.C. The union also asked readers to boycott the ProPublica website on April 8, calling for them to respect the digital picket line as a sign of support for the workers.
What Are ProPublica Union Members Hoping to Achieve?
“Our union is essential to preserving the best parts of working at ProPublica and ensuring our values do not waver regardless of leadership changes or turbulence within the industry. We want to maintain the organization’s focus on ambitious, impact-focused journalism,” the ProPublica Guild union explained in its mission statement. “We want to strengthen existing internal efforts, like those of the diversity committee, that address inequities within our own staff and across our industry.”
The union alluded to multiple different expectations from the organization through the contract, such as AI job protections and overall security in the media industry. Some of their reasons for forming the union include:
- Representation in conversations alongside management
- Opportunities to discuss journalistic standards or workplace problems
- Pay transparency with wages that stay ahead of inflation
- Clearly defined work processes and sufficient staffing across roles
- Internal career development for workers
- Job security and due process
To explain specific reasons for the strike, the ProPublica union pointed to management’s refusal to place any restrictions on replacing jobs with AI or to establish any standard job security protections and seniority provisions in layoffs. They also stated that ProPublica has denied workers wage increases that keep up with the rising cost of living.
The ProPublica Union Contract Discussion Brings up Differences of Opinion on AI Job Protections in the Media Industry
As part of their commitment to authentic, legitimate reporting, the union is demanding clarity on AI use at ProPublica. The contentious technology is admittedly disruptive, but particularly in journalism, where facts and verifiable data are of the essence, the use of AI is highly unwelcome in many circles.
The management at ProPublica recently announced an AI policy; however, this was not an acceptable step for the unionized workers. Only days ago, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) over the “unilateral implementation of an AI policy.”
“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,” Mark Olalde, a member of the bargaining committee, told The Verge. “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 Very Real Threat of Layoffs Also Looms Over the Journalism Industry
Alexis Stephens, ProPublica’s director of communications, explained that while the organization is willing to negotiate with the guild fairly, it doesn’t want to make promises about AI before fully understanding the technology’s impact on its operations. The employees at ProPublica also appear to be divided on the use of AI, as it can be beneficial in many ways, but most agree that they do not want the technology to replace work.
The dispute over AI in journalism aside, employees across industries also agree that protections from AI-fueled layoffs are essential in the current era of work. Just this month, platforms like the Associated Press and ESPN announced layoffs at their operations. While their reasons for headcount reduction plans vary, at the heart of it all, we have employees stressed about the future of the industry and worrying over the lack of job security.
Workers at CBS News also recently went on strike over a lapsed union contract, showcasing the unrest that can be seen throughout the industry. Amidst such circumstances, the ProPublica’s union strike serves as a reminder that employees are the heart of any organization, and their ability to perform their jobs hinges on stability in their working conditions.
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