Philadelphia Inquirer employees secure new union contract with raises and AI protections
Under the new three-year contract, members will see healthcare costs increase for the first time in 20 years, the union said.
Unionized journalists and product engineers at The Inquirer secured a new contract on Friday that includes AI protections, raises, and changes to healthcare coverage.
The company reached a tentative deal with the News Guild of Greater Philadelphia local 38010 on Sept. 15. Union members ratified the new contract by email vote this week.
Of 238 eligible union members, 160 workers voted, with 156 in favor of the new contract.
“AI is one of the biggest unknowns and new frontiers that is dramatically reshaping our entire industry right now, against the backdrop of ongoing cuts to local news,” said Guild President Max Marin, who is an investigative reporter at The Inquirer. “Many of our members viewed it as an existential threat, and we are incredibly proud of the agreement that we came to with management.”
The union that represents Inquirer workers also includes employees of Spotlight PA, the News Journal in Wilmington, the Trentonian, and the Scranton-Times Tribune, and other local news outlets.
The Inquirer’s last three-year union contract was set to expire Aug. 31, and was extended in negotiations through Sept. 15. The union and newsroom management reached a deal hours before that extended deadline.
The new contract goes into effect immediately and will expire in 2029.
Inquirer publisher and CEO, Lisa Hughes, said in a statement that reaching a new agreement with the union “is an important step forward for The Inquirer.”
“This agreement provides meaningful enhancements to both wages and benefits, and it reflects The Inquirer’s continued commitment to investing in our most important resource: the people who work here,” she said.
New AI policies
Under the new deal, The Inquirer may not use any AI generated videos or images that appear realistic “for editorial purposes.” The contract bars The Inquirer from using AI to mimic employees without their explicit consent.
Employees also have the right to have their byline removed from any content that is AI generated.
Under the contract, Guild members must be included in developing, training, and maintaining AI tools. Union employees must be involved in creating or otherwise verifying any AI-generated content.
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The Inquirer will also put together an AI Advisory Committee in collaboration with the union, which will meet on a monthly basis. The group is expected to discuss “the implementation of AI-generated and AI-assisted editorial content, the implementation of AI tools for internal company purposes, and updates to the Employer’s AI usage policies.”
Changes to pay and benefits
Unionized Inquirer employees will receive a one-time $5,577 payment before taxes within 30 days of ratifying the contract. They will get a 4% wage increase and a $1,000 bonus in the second year, and another raise in year three.
The amount of that last pay bump varies between 2.25% and 4%, with lower-paid members getting the higher rates.
“This is our third consecutive contract with pay raises at the Inquirer, following a decade of layoffs and furloughs,” said Guild president Marin. “These are meaningful raises too.”
Vacation time will also accrue more quickly, with new Guild employees starting with three weeks per year.
Healthcare costs have been on the rise for many Americans, and under the Inquirer’s new union contract, members will see their weekly rates increase for the first time in 20 years, according to the union. Despite the increase, the union says it worked to keep rates low. Guild members’ contributions to their health plans will increase by $7.50 to $12.50 per week in year two of the contract.
