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This Labor Day, as we reflect on the history of this day and West Virginia's own labor history, it's never been more important for us to think about the future of work and the impact major technological advancements are already having, and will have, on working class people.
For decades, communities across our state, and especially those in the Northern Panhandle, have faced job loss due to the development of new technologies. This is nothing new. Centuries of advancements have led us to where blue collar jobs are today. But because this is so, our leaders should be better equipped to put the livelihoods of workers first. As AI advances and job automation continues with a different look than in the past, blue collar and white collar workers alike need lawmakers and leaders to double down on their commitment to fighting for working class people.
Unfortunately, our state's AI taskforce is not prioritizing worker displacement and the potential negative, long-term effects AI will have specifically on the workforce. A great place to start would be for state leadership to commit to examining this issue closely in the context of our state. As the governor welcomes data center development with little to no regard for the say of local communities, it's not surprising that the current administration has also put worker protections on the back burner.
As a local union president and leader of our local labor council, job automation has been an issue weighing heavily on my mind for years. As a union electrician, jobs of all sorts have allowed me to provide for my family, earn a healthy living, and contribute to our economy. These worksites have included manufacturing facilities, coal- and gas-fired energy plants, an airport, and yes, data centers. However, an "open for business" approach to AI without looking out for the worker is extremely dangerous and could be detrimental as we stand at a major crossroads. As current leadership invites the development of AI infrastructure, we must be thinking critically about the industry's long-term impact on working families and their livelihoods and what laws can be put in place to ensure West Virginians are not overshadowed by Big Tech.
There is no shortage of legislation being proposed across the country that we could learn from. Some of these bills include language requiring employers to give notice to employees prior to technological displacement, collective bargaining rights over automation decisions, and data-use restrictions to prevent employers from using a worker's own labor to train the system that could potentially replace them.
It's incredibly difficult to predict what the future of work will look like in the age of AI, but that difficulty is reason enough to dedicate resources now to ensure West Virginians have a voice in these matters. Our AI-driven world demands our leaders to be legislating for the future, and when the future is uncertain, it doesn't mean waiting around to see what happens, then attempting to remedy the harm that's been done. We cannot continue to legislate retroactively.
Dave Cantrell is a union electrician, husband, dad, and independent candidate running to represent District 3 in the West Virginia House of Delegates. Dave is currently the President of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 141 and President of the Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assembly.