In a previous article, I commented on how the political deadlock in Washington alienates Americans and neglects their economic needs.
I predicted that more workers across many sectors would go on strike to protest against the unfair and divisive system that marginalizes them.
Now, according to gCaptain, a strike could affect the US East and Gulf Coast Ports in 2024. The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA), representing 45,000 dockworkers at the ports, reaffirmed a commitment to strike.
It remains to be seen if the ILA’s stance to maintain prohibitions against terminal automation are realistic.
McKinsey in a report on outlining the future of Ports states are prime candidates for automation. They have a structured and predictable environment, with many simple and repetitive tasks.
They also produce a lot of data that can be easily collected and analysed.
Automation can bring benefits such as cost reduction, performance improvement, and safety enhancement for ports and their customers. However, ports are lagging other sectors with similar complexities because the economic returns of automation have not yet met the management expectations.