BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Journalists in Bellingham and across the state hit the picket line Tuesday to protest artificial intelligence in the workplace.

Union workers at the Bellingham Herald were among four newsrooms in Washington that went on a one-day strike to protest their publisher McClatchy Media.

The News Tribune, The Olympian and The Tri-City Herald were also part of the rallies.

All four are under the Washington State News Guild, which is currently negotiating with McClatchy on a new contract.

The union said its priorities center around limiting the use of AI in news, securing higher pay and moving away from clickbait-driven expectations.

It alleges that McClatchy is hoping readers won’t notice if it replaces human stories with AI-generated content.

McClatchy has not responded to My Bellingham Now for comment.