In today’s news and commentary, industry and ports brace for impact of the Longshoremen’s strike as their contract expires tonight, the Department of Labor introduced a new tool designed to guide employers in inclusive use of AI hiring technologies, and the Labor Movement mourns the passing of labor leader Bill Lucy.

The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) reaffirmed plans to walk off the job at 12:01 am Tuesday morning, upon expiration of their current contract. As Luke reported, the ILA and the US Maritime Alliance have been negotiating a new contract for several months, but have reached impasse on the issues of wage increases and use of automated machinery. The Longshoremen are asking for a $5 per hour raise each year over the life of the 6-year contract. If won, hourly wages in the final year would top out at $69. Longshoremen at West Coast ports, represented by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), won a hard-fought contract last year providing wage increases up to $60.85 an hour in the final year – 2027. West Coast ports plan to remain open if the ILA strikes, but those ports will not be able to absorb a diversion of all shipments to East and Gulf Coast ports. The strike could cost the US economy between $4.5 and $7.5 billion a week – though several economists say that fear of shortages and major disruption is somewhat hyperbolic. Biden has said he will not use Taft-Hartley Act powers to break the strike. The Union plans to update the public with new developments by today at 11 am. The Parties do not have any talks planned for today prior to contract expiration.

The Department of Labor rolled out a new tool to support employers’ use of AI hiring technologies, reducing the risk on unintentional discrimination and increasing benefits to disabled job applicants. The AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework, published by the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology, provides employers with 10 focus areas to develop internal practices and incorporate into AI governance. The tool provides information on how employers can maximize benefits and manage risks both for current workers and job seekers. The framework provides similar information to workers and job seekers on how to navigate the benefits and challenges of AI-enabled technologies. As of yet, employers are not required to implement any of the tool’s recommendations, and some management-side attorneys have called the guidance “an information overload.” As it is likely not precedent-setting, the tool will only be as useful as its uptake. Companies are finding that blaming discrimination on their AI technologies is no longer holding up, so the guidance is at least welcome, if somewhat overwhelming.

Labor giant Bill Lucy passed away last Wednesday at 90-years-old. William “Bill” Lucy dedicated most of his life to fighting for civil rights and advancing the cause of organized labor. Lucy is famous for popularizing the “I am a Man” slogan used by Memphis sanitation workers in their 1968 strike. In a 2012 interview about his involvement with the sanitation workers’ strike, Lucy explained that “I am a Man” means “confronting the system.” It means, “I’m not asking for a whole lot, just to be treated with respect and dignity.” Mr. Lucy became a union member in 1956 and worked his way up from President of his Local to a nearly 40-year stint as the Secretary-Treasurer of AFSCME. In that time, Lucy was a fierce advocate for workers’ rights, while also pushing unions and their leadership to end internal discrimination, to integrate white-dominated unions, and to weigh the concerns of black workers when the Union makes political endorsements. Lucy cofounded the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists in 1972 to amplify the voices of black workers. He served as the Coalition’s first president until his retirement in 2013. President Biden released a statement last week describing Mr. Lucy as a “courageous labor leader” who worked tirelessly and changed the course of history, “redeeming the soul of America.”