Keeping Jobs Safe from Automation and Artificial Intelligence Technology.
The UFCW is making sure technology works for workers.
Artificial intelligence running the show, robots replacing humans, and the end of cash transactions. Our workplaces are rapidly changing and it can be hard to keep up. We’re not against technology – in some cases, it can make workplaces safer or more efficient. But it needs to be used to help workers and communities succeed, not as a way to get rid of good jobs or to make things more difficult.
Unions & The Future of Work
Artificial intelligence has been linked to systemic racism and discrimination, cashless technologies can make life hard for the poor and unbanked, and robots can increase the level of danger in warehouses. As our workplace changes, we know that it’s not always for the better. However, as a union, we get a voice in how our workplace adapts for the future.
“I think this [automation] whole thing is to eliminate employees to compete with automation…They need to understand good customer service is what is going to set us apart.”
– Edith Peck, UFCW Local 1529
When you have a union contract, you get a say in how your workplace changes, but many workers do not. That’s why in many cases we’re working on issues that can help workers be more empowered to have a voice in shaping their workplaces. That includes changing corporate policies using pension funds as leverage, fighting against corporate consolidation and increased power and where necessary, regulating technology to ensure that every community has a fair shot at a better future.
