Working people across the United States regularly step up to help out our friends, neighbors and communities during these trying times. In our Service & Solidarity Spotlight series, we’ll showcase one of these stories every day. Here’s today’s story.
The editorial staff at Slate Media ratified a new collective bargaining agreement with the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE) that establishes guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the newsroom. The 55-member bargaining unit unanimously approved the latest three-year contract, which marks the third since the staff unionized in 2018.
The contract establishes protections against the implementation of AI as well as guidelines for the development of a public-facing editorial policy on its use. Management will be required to provide advance notice and details before introducing any generative AI tool in an editorial capacity, and members can remove their byline from any AI-related editorial asks that they believe would compromise editorial integrity. The company must also work directly in consultation with the union to develop editorial guidelines and review processes for the use of AI in an editorial context. Any unit member whose position is materially affected by the introduction of editorial generative AI will receive an additional three weeks of severance and another month of insurance.
Other highlights include guaranteed raises for unit members in 2026, an increase in the lowest minimum salary from $58,000 to $66,000, minimum severance tripled from two to six weeks, bereavement leave doubled from five to 10 days, parental leave increased from 13 to 16 weeks, hostile environment training and antidoxxing tools, and guaranteed severance and coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) for separation from the company due to editorial differences.
“The Slate Union is proud to ratify a new contract with management,” the unit members said in a joint statement. “We’re thrilled to have secured better parental leave and severance, raised salary minimums and annual increases, added new positions to the unit and introduced a brand new AI article. This contact improves the livelihoods of all our members, and we hope it helps set even better standards for all of those in our industry.”