It is easy to get caught up in automation. It is easy to dismiss it completely. The truth is almost certainly between the two extremes. The impact of automation on the workforce will be determined by both companies and regulatory bodies.
As someone who frequently speaks with technologists, roboticists and the VCs who invest in them, I think we have the tendency to brush past some of these broader concerns in favor of embracing the notion of a future in which automation has created a new class of better and higher paying jobs.
The utopian outcome is not always the correct one. Bad things tend to disproportionately impact those in society with the least means to defend themselves because life is more subtle. It was a topic we knew would be important to a lot of the conversations we were having at the event.
The U.S. Labor Secretary was in attendance. He served as the mayor of Boston for six years before being tapped by Joe Biden for a cabinet position.
Walsh says he has been in politics for 25 years and has been talking about automation for 25 years.
He says that they were looking forward to being in Boston. Different types of jobs can be created by innovation. How do we make sure people are skilled enough to get those jobs? It will have an impact on people if you don't do that.
This points to an important point in the automation discussion. Technology will create more and better jobs in the long run, but what happens to blue-collar workers in the short term? How can we help them to be prepared for the future? Is that responsibility falling on someone?
He says the government needs to look at how it invests in workforce development and make sure the money is put into good training programs.
Some of the responsibility should be shouldered by the companies doing theAutomating
He thinks companies need to invest more in their workforce. It's their chance to create a workforce that works for them. The private partnership is important, but I think companies are going to invest more in human capital because they want to be loyal to the company.
Walsh has spent a lot of his time on the road talking about Biden's economic policies. He's traveled to a number of plants, warehouses and logistics facilities for companies like GM, where the workforce is often evenly split between humans and machines. He wants to visit an Amazon facility, but has not yet had the chance.
Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh will be in Bethlehem, Pa., on June 2, 2021. Wild attended the tour. The image was taken by Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call.
He has set up meetings with unions to discuss labor organizing. Walsh met with organizers from Starbucks and Amazon. The Secretary is against corporations taking an approach to unionization.
They organized for a reason. They organized because they felt unsafe in the workplace and they wanted to be treated better. The relationship should begin to think about a joint partnership when they settle on a contract. What do you do to make sure the company succeeds? The labor movement needs to do a better job of convincing the leadership of the company that they are not in here to slow you down and put you out of business.
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