The roughly 150 members of the ProPublica Guild are in the midst of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement after unionizing in 2023. The union says key issues are still in contention, including protections around the use of AI, “just cause” provisions around disciplining or firing an employee, layoff protections, and wages.

“We’ve been working to resolve this quietly for over two years,” says Katie Campbell, a ProPublica Guild member. “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.”

The unit voted in March to authorize a strike if a deal was not reached with ProPublica management.

One of the major issues workers are walking out over is how generative AI will be used at ProPublica — and disclosed to audiences — going forward. Many newsroom unions are negotiating AI language in contracts for the first time since tools have become widely accessible in the last few years. ProPublica management recently introduced an AI policy, which Mark Olalde, a member of the bargaining committee, described as “unilateral implementation.” The NewsGuild, which represents ProPublica staff, filed an unfair labor practice charge earlier this week over the implementation of the policy.