Longshoremen fight back against job-killing automation

An employer’s request to automate some workers out of a job is facing serious opposition from labor and community

TACOMA, WA (May 5, 2026) — Longshoremen at the Port of Tacoma are sounding the alarm on an employers attempt to automate certain functions at the publicly-owned port, risking good union jobs. Husky Terminal, which leases ship-to-shore cranes at the port, has submitted a “tenant improvement request” to allow the company to replace dozens of union workers with automated, AI equipment, per ILWU Local 23.

“If approved by Port managers, that means our tax dollars are directly financing Husky’s efforts to eliminate good jobs in the community and attack our union,” wrote ILWU Local 23 in an online post. “We can’t allow that to happen.”

Workers warn that automating jobs has a ripple effect beyond port workers — fewer jobs means fewer dollars going into the local economy. AI and robots don’t stop for gas or grab a bite to eat at a local cafe. Automating jobs hollows out communities, as people are forced to look elsewhere for work.

Photos: ILWU Local 23. Design: The Stand

Members of ILWU Local 23 are taking their fight against automation at the publicly-owned port to the community, asking for supporters to sign a petition to Port of Tacoma commissioners, urging them to pressure port managers against accepting Husky’s push to operate. The workers’ message is simple: the residents of Pierce County own the port and a private company should not be given sign-off to cut jobs and maximize profits at the expense of Pierce County workers on publicly-owned property.

The text of the petition reads:

I have recently learned that the Port of Tacoma is considering a “tenant improvement request” from Husky Terminal.

If approved, this would allow Husky to install equipment on taxpayer-owned container cranes, allowing the company to automate job and cargo-handling functions and permanently remove the ILWU marine clerks who currently perform these duties.

The Port is publicly owned by the citizens of Pierce County. Working peoples’ tax dollars should be used to create more jobs in the community, not to eliminate them.

This request from Husky isn’t about safety, performance or efficiency. It’s simply about eliminating jobs to increase corporate power and profits — at the expense of working families.

As an elected representative, I ask you to do your due diligence and ensure this is not allowed to happen and that family-wage union jobs are protected at the Port of Tacoma.

Support for the workers is pouring in locally, with more than 4,100 signatures on their petition as of Tuesday morning. And workers from as far away as Australia have also shared their support, a sign of how important the fight against corporate greed-fueled AI is for working people globally.

TAKE A STAND: Sign the workers’ petition urging the Port of Tacoma’s elected commissioners to block Husky’s request to use AI.