ABC News accepts AI protection for authors in the Union’s contract

At the beginning of what is likely to be a busy news year in the middle of Trump’s return to the Oval Office, ABC News’ union writers have secured new protection that regulates the use of generative AI in their workplace.

Employees who belong to Writers Guild of America East have voted to ratify a contract that offers some employment protection measures if the news room adopts the technology announced the union on Tuesday. It includes an agreement that the company will not dismiss the current employees due to the use of generative AI.

The new three-year covenant also requires management to give union members prior notice if the company plans to make the use of generative AI systems a requirement for their job. The company will be obliged to negotiate any effects of the technology with the union and meet with the Labor Group half -yearly to review its hiring the technology.

In a statement, representatives of the ABC News Union AI called “pioneering” and said that the contract further “makes significant improvements to all our benefits.”

The contract provides members with a minimum pay increase of 3.5 percent each year of the agreement with an extra increase of more than 17 percent for desk assistants this year one. The benefits have been strengthened, with the company accepting an extra 1.5 percent in contributions to the Health Fund and the addition of paid custody of temporary employees in their second year on the job, beginning two of the contract this year.

As a result of the agreement, temporary employees will have a lower threshold to meet to receive Comp Days and June will be added to have a holiday. The parties also agreed that the company will credit writers whose work for broadcasts has been reused for platforms such as streaming and ABC News site, which is not covered by the contract.

“Now, more than ever, we need journalists who can report and present the news while being protected in their workplace,” said WGAE president Lisa Takeuchi Cullen in a statement. “A trade union contract is the only thing that ensures this protection. Our members and staff fought hard for this contract and they deserve everything they won. “