It’s Better In A Union! 

A union card comes with hard-fought rights and protections. Workers do not trust politicians, Big Tech companies, or even their employers. But, according to recent polling, they do trust unions to protect them from harmful uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace. 

AI has the potential to make jobs safer and easier, but that is not how many employers are using this technology. Instead, AI is being weaponized against workers: replacing their skills and judgment, creating unsafe conditions, ramping up surveillance, and eliminating jobs. Governments should step in to ensure that this technology has responsible guardrails, but lawmakers are slow and sometimes fail to act at all. 

That’s where unions come in. Unions do not just react to problems; they prevent them. Through collective action, workers get a seat at the table to shape how technology is used in their workplace. Unions give workers the power to defend their dignity and protect themselves from the dangers and downsides that technological change can bring.

Unions can protect workers from being laid off due to AI. AI is transforming the workplace for many workers. Workers’ biggest fear is automation and the job losses that follow. Workers want to know how to protect their jobs when employers roll out new technologies. Unions are their strongest defense. Union contracts can protect what workers uniquely bring to the job – expertise, judgment, and human qualities that no AI can replicate – by ensuring that job duties performed by workers can’t be taken over by AI products.  

Unions provide a process for workers to defend themselves. When AI makes a mistake at work, workers often take the blame. Through a formal procedure (filing a grievance), unions give workers a real way to challenge unfair treatment. Workers should not be held responsible for these mistakes, especially when it is caused by technology they never agreed to use. Unions make sure they are not. 

Unions can ensure that workers receive training for new skills. When new technology changes how a job functions, workers need training to keep up. Unions deliver this. Through collective bargaining, unions negotiate directly with employers to secure guarantees like paid training, apprenticeships, and reskilling programs, ensuring that every worker whose job is affected by AI gets the support they need. They can also provide guaranteed opportunities for workers to transition into new or better paying jobs created by new technologies. 

Unions require that employers communicate with workers before new technology is used. Workers should not find out about new technology after it’s already in place. Many union contracts require employers to give advance notice before introducing new technology and give workers a say in how it’s implemented. That means workers won’t just adapt to new technology; they will shape it, giving workers a chance to raise concerns about new technologies that might make their jobs harder or more dangerous.  

Unions can restrict the use of surveillance technologies and its negative impacts. Employers can use AI to monitor workers; without proper guardrails it can cause real harm, including unfair discipline, injuries, and even job loss. Unions, through collective bargaining, have won contract provisions that restrict how employers track and share worker data. Workers should not be watched without limits, and unions make sure they are not.  

Unions can protect workers’ data privacy rights. Data is valuable. That is why it is collected everywhere and why unions fight to make sure workers’ data is not exploited. Unions have negotiated clear terms on what data employers can collect and how they use it, including informed consent and fair compensation. This matters because AI models trained on workers’ data can be used to replicate workers’ output or even steal their likeness. Unions are fighting at the bargaining table to ensure that workers’ privacy is respected and that they are not training their own replacements. 

Unions fight to keep workers in charge and guarantee AI is just a tool. As AI systems are being used more in the workplace, they are handling more decisions that have previously been made by a human. Whether it is determining who gets hired, how your work is evaluated, or how your hours are assigned, unions have fought to insert language in their contracts requiring that employment-related decisions must be made with meaningful human oversight. 

Unions prevent unsafe uses of technology that put the public at risk. When employers and governments unleash untested and unregulated AI in critical public services, people can get hurt. These systems fail often, creating serious safety risks and reducing the public’s trust in government. Workers know their jobs best and can spot failures early. When they have a union, they can negotiate protections to push back against experimental, potentially dangerous AI systems.