The UAW and Other Unions Must Focus More on AI and Automation in Their Negotiations.

This article focuses on the need for labor unions, including the United Auto Workers (UAW), Teamsters, and International Warehouse and Longshore Union, to prioritize AI and automation in their negotiations to prepare workers for a rapidly changing workplace. While recent labor agreements have secured significant pay increases, they often overlook critical issues such as worker training for automated and AI-driven roles, the disappearance of entry-level jobs, and the evolving skill sets required. The article highlights the ongoing UAW strikes and the example of the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union addressing AI concerns early in negotiations as a contrast to other unions’ slower responses. It emphasizes the urgency for unions and employers to collaborate on reskilling, upskilling, and embedding AI-human work frameworks to safeguard workers’ futures amid accelerating technological change.