Category: Automation Impact on Jobs

Dockworkers Join Other Unions in Trying to Fend off Automation, or Minimize the Impact

NEW YORK (AP) — The massive port workers’ strike that has shut down all the major dockyards on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. and the Gulf coast is highlighting a fear held by many workers: Eventually, we will be replaced by machines.

The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the approximately 45,000 dock workers who walked off the job Tuesday , is testing whether it’s possible to fight back.

The union is demanding, along with hefty pay raises, a total ban on the automation of gates, cranes and container-moving trucks in its ports. But it’s unclear whether they’ll be able to […]

Data, pilot projects showing food service robots may not threaten jobs

Data, pilot projects showing food service robots may not threaten jobs

Paige Gross (via Missouri Independent)

Fast-casual restaurant Chipotle is experimenting with a work station that has automation assembling salads and bowls underneath the counter while a human worker assembles more complex dishes such as burritos on top. (Photo courtesy of Chipotle)Though food service workers and economists have long worried about the impact technology would have on the restaurant labor force, pilot programs in several fast-casual restaurants over the last few years have shown it may not have the negative impact they feared, a labor economist says.

Technology plays several roles in food service, but the industry has seen the adoption of […]

Yes, America Should Automate Dock Work

Yes, America Should Automate Dock Work

As the global economy has grown in recent decades, so too have the container ships that transport cargo to and from the world’s ports. They are growing both in numbers and in size . And to keep up with all those containers, ports have introduced advanced automation. In fact, the world’s first fully automated port terminal—the Delta Dedicated North Terminal operated in The Netherlands by Hutchison Ports ECT Rotterdam (ECT)—is now more than 30 years old. ECT has used technologies such as automatic guided vehicles and automatic stacking cranes to whisk containers to and from the port’s quay in […]

CMV: Preventing Jobs from being eliminated due to technological advancement and automation should not be considered a valid reason to strike

Unions striking over jobs lost to technological advancements and automation does nothing but hinder economic progress and innovation. Technology often leads to increased efficiency, lower costs, and the creation of new jobs in emerging industries. Strikes that seek to preserve outdated roles or resist automation can stifle companies’ ability to remain competitive and adapt to a rapidly changing market. Additionally, preventing or delaying technological advancements due to labor disputes could lead to overall economic stagnation, reducing the ability of businesses to grow, invest in new opportunities, and ultimately generate new types of employment. Instead, the focus should be on […]

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact

Dockworkers join other unions in trying to fend off automation, or minimize the impact

Longshoremen bow for a prayer during a strike at the Bayport Container Terminal on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Annie Mulligan) By CATHY BUSSEWITZ

AP Business Writer

NEW YORK The massive port workers’ strike that has crippled all the major dockyards on the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. is highlighting a fear held by many workers: Eventually, we will all be replaced by machines.The International Longshoremen’s Association, which represents the approximately 45,000 dock workers who walked off the job Tuesday, is testing whether it’s possible to fight back.The union is demanding, along with hefty pay […]

Automation from the Worker’s Perspective: How can new technologies make jobs better?

Automation from the Worker’s Perspective: How can new technologies make jobs better?

1 Introduction

Sam Sayer worked in factories for years before he ever saw a robot. Now, in a red beard and zombie t-shirt, he’s teaching his colleagues on the factory floor how to use them [ 1 ]. Sayer is one of a growing group of employees at a New Hampshire cutting tool manufacturer who have become champions of the automation transforming their jobs. In recent years, Sayer’s employer has scaled advanced technologies across the company. Robots and advanced machines are distributed throughout their factories, working alongside employees to make them faster and freeing workers up to solve problems […]

Tens of thousands of dockworkers are striking from Boston to Houston

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

Tens of thousands of dockworkers along the East and Gulf coasts walked off the job at midnight. The strike spans ports from Boston to Houston, and it is threatening to jam supply chains and disrupt the U.S. economy. Stephan Bisaha of the Gulf States Newsroom is at one of those ports in Mobile, Ala. He joins us from the picket line. Hey, Stephan.

STEPHAN BISAHA, BYLINE: Hey. Thanks for having me.KELLY: Hey. Glad to have you with us. OK, tell me what you see, what it sounds like, what’s happening there in Mobile.BISAHA: Yeah. On the road […]

Is advertising still a viable career for young people?

Is advertising still a viable career for young people?

Seldom a week goes by without one of the global advertising groups announcing a new merger or that they’re seeking efficiencies by making job cuts. Combined with the threat of AI, it’s safe to say that a career in advertising certainly doesn’t offer the security it once did—but is it still a viable career path for young people and for how much longer?

Lesley John, managing director at Virtue APAC, says a career in advertising remains an exciting option even in the face of industry shifts.

“Traditional roles may be changing, but new opportunities are emerging, especially in areas such as […]

Generative AI and the Digital Divide: A Double-Edged Sword for Latin America’s Job Market

Generative AI and the Digital Divide: A Double-Edged Sword for Latin America's Job Market

Representative Image A New Frontier or a Bottleneck? GenAI’s Impact on Latin America’s Job Market

The rise of Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) promises to reshape industries and economies globally. However, for the Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region, this transformative technology presents a paradox. While it could boost productivity and streamline various sectors, a critical digital divide threatens to leave millions of workers behind. A new report titled Buffer or Bottleneck? Employment Exposure to Generative AI and the Digital Divide in Latin America by the World Bank highlights these contrasting effects, examining the potential for GenAI to either […]

Changing the Narrative Between Tech and Employees

Changing the Narrative Between Tech and Employees

Summit Art Creations/stock.adobe.com

Conversations around technology in the logistics industry invariably involve the net effect on employees. Usually, the relationship between tech and workers is seen as adversarial – tech versus employees. The perception is: the more technology introduced, the fewer employees an operation will need.

The relationship is far more nuanced than that, however, as tech has the capacity to improve workplace safety and efficiency, provide opportunities for advancement and upskilling, and make better connections between job seekers and good-fit jobs. Here’s a look at how tech AND employees can work together in logistics. Technology and Job Displacement Countless […]