BOISE, Idaho — Staff at the Idaho Statesman swapped their notebooks for picket signs on Tuesday to call for increased wages and guardrails concerning the use of artificial intelligence.
The Idaho News Guild says the walkout included reporters, photographers, and columnists, leaving only managers in the newsroom.
WATCH: Idaho Statesman journalists walked off the job Tuesday, saying wages, AI, and bargaining concerns are at the center of their fight with McClatchy.
Guild members say there are three major sticking points: who is negotiating, wages, and how their parent company, McClatchy, is using artificial intelligence.
Michael Lycklama, chair of the Idaho News Guild, said union members feel they are not being taken seriously at the bargaining table.
Union members added that they are frustrated that McClatchy’s actual decision-makers are not negotiating directly. When it comes to pay, journalists say rising costs in the Treasure Valley are making it harder to stay in the industry long-term.
Sally Krutzig, a breaking news reporter at the Statesman, said the financial reality is forcing her to question her future in journalism.
“I love working at the Statesman. I love reporting on this community. I love Boise, but I've had to take stock of my life and think, 'is this something I can afford to keep doing?'” asked Krutzig.
The union is also pushing for AI guardrails, saying McClatchy has been taking reporters' stories, running a second version through AI, and reposting it with the reporter's name still attached to the byline.
Noah Daly, a suburbs reporter at the Statesman, said that practice puts reporters' credibility at risk.
“And then when that tool inevitably makes a mistake, it's then attributed to the reporter," explained Daly. "And then we lose credibility, and then people start to lose faith in our ability to tell the stories that are important to this community."
Idaho News 6 tried several times Tuesday to get a hold of someone at McClatchy for comment, but has not yet heard back.
During Tuesday's news conference, union leaders argued journalism still requires a human connection.
“AI cannot sit with a victim [while] recounting the most difficult time in their life. AI cannot sit at that statehouse and report to the community what is happening there. AI cannot go to Boise State and describe the emotions of a championship,” Lycklama said.
Tuesday's strike was coordinated alongside four McClatchy newspapers in Washington state.
“We are striking today to tell McClatchy that this newspaper matters, this community matters, and we matter,” Lycklama said.
The Idaho News Guild says the parties will come back to the table in one week to continue negotiations.
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