The Associated Press, reporting on the strike by the International Longshoremen’s Association, noted, “Local ILA president Boise Butler said workers want a fair contract that doesn’t allow automation of their jobs.” The report added, “The union had message boards on the side of a truck reading, ‘Automation Hurts Families’ and ‘ILA Stands For Job Protection.’” Elsewhere, picket signs proclaimed that machines don’t feed families.

The ILA subsequently called off the strike on Oct. 3, 2024, in exchange for major concessions from the United States Maritime Alliance, representing ocean carriers and port operators. But many of the fundamental labor questions still remain unresolved.

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