MADISON, WI (WTAQ-WRN) — A UW Madison professor says the threat of job losses due to automation is a big part of the East Coast longshoremen’s strike.
Michael Childers says the two sides aren’t really far apart.
“I think the one sticking point, and it’s the thing that slowed negotiations considerably since June, is the idea around ‘what kind of worker protections are there for potential automation?'” said Childers.
Childers says current contracts include automation language.
“It’s just that, I think, with this kerfuffle that’s going on about the kind of check in of trucks prior to getting on the dock, and whether or not it falls under the “automation tag”, has been a real burr under the saddle of the union,” said Childers.
The Biden administration is working with port operators and the union to resolve the dispute.
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