Idaho Statesman journalists strike over wages and AI practices
Reporters, photographers, and columnists at the Idaho Statesman walked off the job Tuesday, leaving only managers in the newsroom. The Idaho News Guild called the strike to demand higher wages, direct negotiations with decision-makers, and limits on how parent company McClatchy uses artificial intelligence.
Three core demands
Union members say McClatchy's negotiators lack authority to make binding decisions. Michael Lycklama, chair of the Idaho News Guild, said union members feel they are not being taken seriously at the bargaining table.
Pay is the second sticking point. Journalists cite rising costs in the Treasure Valley as a barrier to staying in the profession. Sally Krutzig, a breaking news reporter, said the financial pressure forced her to reconsider her career.
"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?'" Krutzig said.
AI byline problem
The union's third demand addresses how McClatchy handles AI. The company has been taking reporters' stories, running them through AI to generate new versions, and republishing them under the original reporter's byline.
Noah Daly, a suburbs reporter, said this practice undermines credibility. "When that tool inevitably makes a mistake, it's then attributed to the reporter," Daly said. "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."
Union leaders argued that journalism requires human presence and judgment. "AI cannot sit with a victim recounting the most difficult time in their life. AI cannot sit at that statehouse and report to the community what is happening there," Lycklama said.
Broader action
Tuesday's strike was coordinated with four McClatchy newspapers in Washington state. The union and company will return to negotiations in one week.
Idaho News 6 contacted McClatchy multiple times Tuesday for comment but did not receive a response.
For writers concerned about AI for Writers and how generative AI and LLM tools are being deployed in newsrooms, the Idaho Statesman dispute illustrates real workplace tensions around attribution, credibility, and labor practices.
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