Automation has certainly flourished in nearly every field, From industries, businesses, and corporates which are finding ways to make their processes more efficient while saving HR cost. There are many automation related projects underway like Alibaba’s driverless robot which will ship food to customers and the self-driving car which is able to navigate through unmapped roads. Nearly every job is to become automated in one way or the other.
There are several benefits of automation, but it is also bringing a huge problem in form of unemployment. As a result of all the automation, people are expected to lose their jobs to robots which are indeed capable of doing the work more efficiently than humans in many ways. This fear of losing jobs to robots made 50,000 Las Vegas union workers go on a strike if their contracts are not settled by 1 June. Most concerned groups were Culinary and Bartenders Unions.
The Culinary Workers Unions arranged a citywide strike which included bartenders, guest room attendants, cocktail servers, food servers, porters, bellman, cooks, and kitchen workers. It is reported that some resorts like MGM Resorts International and Ceasars Entertainment Corporation can face the loss of $10 million/day and $315 million/month if they don’t resolve the issue with the workers. The unions have been demanding a contract of 5 years for months over the concern of losing their jobs.
Geoconda Arguello-Kline, secretary-treasurer for the Culinary Union said, “We support innovations that improve jobs, but we oppose automation when it only destroys jobs. Our industry must innovate without losing the human touch. That’s why employers should work with us to stay strong, fair, and competitive.” Chad Neanover, a prep cook at the Margaritaville said, “I voted yes to go on strike to ensure my job isn’t outsourced to a robot. We know technology is coming, but workers shouldn’t be pushed out or left behind. Casino companies should ensure that technology is harnessed to improve the quality and safety in the workplace, not as a way to completely eliminate our jobs.”