This month, the International Longshoremen’s Association launched a labor strike in East and Gulf Coast ports, demanding higher wages and protections from automation. A tentative agreement was reached after three days, but the strike highlights the job quality challenges of supply chain workers nationwide.
Challenges go beyond wages—supply chain occupations tend to face long hours, greater injury and illness rates, and other difficult working conditions. And though the agreement includes a 62 percent wage increase over 6 years, how automated systems might affect jobs in the future remains unresolved.
Improving job quality for workers, specifically autonomy and training, could help ensure automation benefits both workers and companies.
