“Since October 3RDthe ILA port strike has been suspended and a tentative agreement on wages has been reached between ILA and USMX. The main contract has been extended to January 15, 2025.
READ ALSO: Protracted port strike narrowly avoided for now
From now until January, the two sides will return to the negotiating table to continue negotiations. Automation remains a key sticking point.
At Magaya, as a global provider of logistics and supply chain automation software, we understand the value of automation to the global shipping industry and know that the benefits outweigh the concerns for all parties involved in the movement of goods.
It’s certainly natural for workers to worry about the impact of automation on their jobs.
No one wants to see hard-working Americans face job uncertainty due to technological advances. However, we know that no one will ever go back to shipping goods in barrels, boxes and sacks without containers and technology will be put back in the bottle.
In my experience, freight automation brings many important benefits to people, such as safety, reduction of costly errors, enhanced personal work experience, reduction of repetitive, onerous tasks, and most importantly through upskilling and reskilling. Training creates new job opportunities.
For example:
- Automation improves safety by reducing human error, especially in high-risk tasks such as cargo handling and equipment operation – automated cranes in ports can minimize accidents.
- The rise of automated warehouse systems has resulted in the need for skilled technicians and data analysts to manage and optimize these operations. This shift opens the door for employee growth in areas such as robotic maintenance and supply chain analytics.
A balance between technology and human input ensures that automation complements, rather than replaces, human expertise, thereby improving operational efficiency and workforce capabilities. “
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