Jacqueline Rayfield is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, SAG-AFTRA complains about major video game studios’ AI proposal amid a months-long strike, and German unionized Ford workers criticize the automaker for rescinding an economic agreement in place since 2006.
Members of SAG-AFTRA at major video game studios have been on strike for over seven months about job security in the face of AI replacement. Yesterday, the union highlighted “alarming loopholes that will leave our members vulnerable to AI abuse,” in the companies’ latest bargaining proposal. The union explains that this proposal would allow companies to recycle union members’ past work on video games and outside projects without bargaining with the union. The union urged its members to reject jobs on video game projects since these jobs could undermine the union’s position on AI. It has been just over a year since SAG-AFTRA’s actors’ strike focused on AI in TV roles.
Ford Motor Co. plans to inject $4.4 billion into its German operations amid Europe’s challenging landscape for electric vehicles. However, the company’s German labor union claims this is a “dirty trick” by management to begin job cuts of Ford workers. The plan to provide funding also terminated an agreement between Ford Germany and its international parent company to subsidize German operations. This agreement has been in effect since 2006.
Daily News & Commentary
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May 14
MLB begins negotiating; Westchester passes a new wage act; USDA employees sue the Agriculture Secretary.
May 13
House Republicans push for vote on the SCORE Act; Wells Fargo wins 401(k) forfeiture appeal; Georgia passes portable benefits bill.
May 12
Trump administration proposes expanding fertility care benefits; Connecticut passes employment legislation; NFL referees ratify new collective bargaining agreement.
May 11
NLRB Judge finds UPS violated federal labor law; Tennessee bans certain noncompetes; and Colorado passes a bill restricting AI price- and wage-setting
May 10
Workers at the Long Island Rail Road threaten to strike, and referees at the National Football League reach a collective bargaining agreement.
May 9
HGSU wraps up its third week on strike and economists find that firms tend to target workers with “wage premiums” for AI replacement.