US Unions Seek AI Protections for Workers

Union contracts have become a primary defense against AI‑driven job cuts in the United States. NewsGuild‑CWA President Jon Schleuss told Axios that “AI is something we can negotiate,” emphasizing that without a collective‑bargaining agreement, employees lack a voice on AI use. While around 16.5 million workers will be union‑covered by 2025, only about 11 percent of the U.S. workforce currently has such protection, leaving roughly 130 million workers without coverage.

The NewsGuild‑CWA holds approximately 85–90 contracts that include AI safeguards, and recent cases illustrate this impact. In November 2025, Politico journalists won an arbitration case after an arbitrator ruled the employer violated their agreement by deploying AI tools that produced unreviewed reports with factual errors. Additionally, SAG‑AFTRA’s new TV/Theatrical Agreement, approved in June 2026, extends AI and synthetic‑media protections for its members. These developments highlight unions’ growing role in shaping workplace AI policy amid limited congressional action.