With Congress making little progress on workplace AI regulation, union contracts are becoming one of the few mechanisms giving workers a voice over how artificial intelligence is introduced and used on the job, according to Axios.
Labor agreements across journalism, entertainment, gaming, and other industries are increasingly including provisions that require employers to negotiate AI deployment, limit worker replacement, or secure employee consent before using AI-generated replicas.
AI Protections Growing Through Collective Bargaining
The NewsGuild-CWA says it now has roughly 85 to 90 collective bargaining agreements containing AI-related language. In one recent case, unionized employees at Politico challenged the rollout of AI reporting tools through arbitration, resulting in the tools being removed.
Meanwhile, SAG-AFTRA negotiated protections preventing AI replicas from replacing performers without consent, while workers at Microsoft’s ZeniMax secured contract language requiring AI to support employees rather than replace them. The agreement also requires management to notify and negotiate with the union before introducing new AI systems.
Most Workers Lack Similar Safeguards
Despite the growth of AI-related contract provisions, most U.S. workers do not have access to union protections.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, about 16.5 million U.S. workers were represented by unions in 2025, the highest total in 16 years, but that accounted for just 11.2% of the workforce. Union representation varies widely by occupation, with education workers among the most unionized, while computer and finance occupations have some of the lowest representation rates.
Labor advocates argue that existing labor laws, including the WARN Act, were designed for traditional mass layoffs and are less equipped to address AI-driven job changes, algorithmic management, or workforce reductions in modern industries.
Calls for Federal Action Continue
Several states have begun introducing workplace AI regulations, but federal legislation has advanced slowly. Labor organizations continue backing proposals that would regulate AI management systems, workplace surveillance, digital replicas, and civil rights protections related to artificial intelligence.
Until more federal rules are enacted, union contracts are likely to remain one of the primary ways workers can influence how AI is implemented in the workplace.
