As of now, workers at 14 East and Gulf Coast ports are on strike. Their contract expired Monday, and the union representing dockworkers is pushing for a significant raise—77% over six years. That would take starting wages from $20 an hour to $69 an hour by the end of the contract. Currently, West Coast longshoremen earn about $55 an hour, so the pay gap is substantial. The consequences could be dire. The longer this goes on, the more likely it is that inflation will spike again.
But this strike isn’t just about money or food prices. The real concern? Automation. Dockworkers don’t want machines taking over cargo handling, not just because of safety but because of job security. That’s the larger issue many of us must consider.
Automation and artificial intelligence are quickly moving from being maybes to constants in our lives. As the software gets smarter, more and more jobs are at risk. I’m not sure if predictions that tens of millions of jobs will disappear in the next decade are accurate, but even a fraction of that would have a massive impact on society.
So, the question is: What do we do about it? How do we adjust? And how replaceable are we? I don’t have answers for this.
I’m not one to stand in the way of innovation. After all, we wouldn’t be chatting without it. But we need guardrails—policies and protections in place as jobs fade away. It won’t be easy, and I’m not sure our institutions, corporations or governments are equipped to meet this challenge. Frankly, nothing I’ve seen in recent years gives me much confidence they can.
What about you? Do you think we’re ready for the future of work, or are we in for a rude awakening? What do you think of this strike?
Let me know in the comments and support my work at jamesbrowntv.substack.com.
On that note, I’m James Brown, and as always, be well.
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