Adam Keller, the Co-Host of The Valley Labor Report, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about their coverage of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and UPS negotiations. Keller also gave an update on the Atlanta Opera hair and makeup artists and the report from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees on artificial intelligence and the core principles for the application of the technology.
The Valley Labor Report has been covering the negotiations between the Teamsters and UPS closely, even speaking with rank-and-file members on their thoughts about the negotiations. During these interviews, Keller became aware of a few common threads. The workers are excited by the fresh mentality of their leadership, but they do wish there was more transparency through the negotiation process. Also, each worker they spoke with is ready to strike, and more importantly, they are prepared for an extended strike if necessary.
In one of his previous appearances on the podcast, Keller spoke of the Atlanta Opera hair and makeup artists' fight for union representation. The mostly minority workforce has received support from several labor organizations nationwide, calling out the Atlanta Opera for their anti-union behavior. This included filing a claim in 2021 with the National Labor Relations Board against the workers claiming they are independent contractors, not employees of the Opera. However, recent events favoring the hair and makeup artists' fight for union representation have occurred, Keller said.
Finally, IATSE had previously formed a commission to look into the proper implementation of artificial intelligence. This commission released a study detailing the core principles for the applications of artificial intelligence. Keller discussed the study's principles for successfully implementing AI as a supplemental tool, not a worker replacement. He then talked about the studies report on worker protections for AI-enhanced jobs and jobs that have no AI integrations.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.
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