New York State AFL-CIO
09/03/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/03/2024 12:31
Unions’ advocacy for workers’ rights includes impact of AI
Labor Day is a time for workers to celebrate with friends and family. It also presents an important opportunity to reflect on how far the union movement has come in the fight for workers' rights and the challenges that lie ahead.
Unions built the U.S. middle class. The protections workers enjoy today were hard fought for and won by unions. They include the weekend; paid time off; the eight-hour workday; breaks; and laws against child labor, age discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination.
Workers understand the value of unions. According to a 2024 study by the Pew Research Center, 54% of adults in the U.S. say that the decline in union membership that we saw over the past few decades (a result of the long and deliberate effort to weaken labor laws by corporations and anti-worker policy makers) has been bad for the country, and 59% said that it has been bad for workers. Another poll found that 71% of registered voters support labor unions across party lines.
The support that we are seeing is accompanied by historic wins for unions in recent years. Workers are organizing in industries that are traditionally non-union, including coffee shops, bookstores, nonprofit organizations and video game development. Unionized workers are fighting for what they deserve and winning contracts with significant gains.
Working people in New York and across the country can see that union membership leads to better wages, benefits and working conditions. Recent union victories, including the record contracts won by WGA, SAG-AFTRA, and UAW following their strike actions, have been particularly inspiring for young workers, many of whom are witnessing for the first time how union membership can improve their quality of life.
This momentum energizes our movement as we navigate the latest challenges facing workers, including the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.
AI can be a valuable tool, and with responsible development and use it has the potential to impact our communities in a positive way. However, AI is not a replacement for jobs or human decision-making. Worker protections, as well as transparency and disclosures on its uses and applications, are critical in preventing negative economic impacts and human rights violations.
During the 2024 legislative session, unions fought for and helped pass the LOADinG Act, legislation that requires oversight of AI, ensures that AI is being used appropriately by state agencies, and protects state agency workers and all New Yorkers from irresponsible use of AI. This bill, currently awaiting the governor's signature, only marks the beginning of this fight.
For more than a century, the union movement has been educating, organizing and advocating on issues and policies that impact working people and their families. Our work is never done because workers will always face employers who want to silence and disadvantage them, as well as other threats to their livelihoods.
Artificial intelligence is the latest in a long line of challenges workers face. New York's unions will continue to advocate for workers on this issue and ensure that AI benefits everyone. This is one way that our movement uplifts all workers, whether they belong to a union or not.