Monthslong labor negotiations between dockworkers on the East and Gulf Coasts of the United States have stalled over one key issue: automation. The International Longshoremen's Association (ILA), the union representing 45,000 workers, opposes the use of automated machinery, which has been utilized in other ports, such as on the West Coast, where workers are represented by a different union.
But the longshoremen won a major supporter last week when President-elect Donald Trump signaled support for their cause. “I’ve studied automation, and know just about everything there is to know about it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “The amount of money saved is nowhere near the distress, hurt, and harm it causes for American Workers, in this case, our Longshoremen.”
Unlike most unions, the ILA did not endorse Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, and instead tried to establish a relationship with Trump in recent months.
Trump’s opposition to port automation comes as he’s poised to take a hands-off regulatory approach to artificial intelligence, which could lead to automation throughout many different industries. But on social media, Trump mostly railed against foreign shipping lines, signaling that this move is likely less about softening to organized labor or against automation and more about promoting “America first” economic policies.