🚢 All aboard!

This week’s port strike is the latest example of workers expressing their fears about automation.

October 03, 2024

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Today’s edition is a 3-minute read. Here’s what to expect👇

🗞️ Port worker strike halts shipping
🌎️ Workers taking more sick-leave
💰️ Talivity rebrands, introduces new AI-copilot
💻 TA roles at Google Deepmind, Intuit
💼 Layoffs hit GM, Moov
📆 Can't miss upcoming industry events

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NEWS
One Thing You Should Know This Week
Port Worker Strike Enters Day Three

Dockworkers in 36 East and Gulf Coast ports – from Maine to Texas – have now been on strike for three days, in a major labor action with real consequences for the US and international economy.

🖼️ The big picture.
In 24/7 round-the-clock demonstrations, members of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) are advocating for pay increases, royalties, and language (as “airtight” as the containers they move) that ports will NOT introduce automation or semi-automation over the course of their next 6-year contract.

💬 What the union is saying. 
The US Maritime Alliance (USMX), which represents shipping companies and port authorities, made public comments earlier this week that “We have demonstrated a commitment to doing our part to end the completely avoidable ILA strike. Our current offer of a nearly 50% wage increase exceeds every other recent union settlement, while addressing inflation, and recognizing the ILA’s hard work to keep the global economy running.”

🏛️ What officials are saying.
While Secretary Pete Buttigieg made a statement on behalf of the US Department of Transportation, saying that the Biden administration is “closely monitoring any attempts by companies to opportunistically raise prices, including ocean shippers or others, during the labor dispute.” Nobody likes a price gouger.

🧮 By the numbers.
These ports handle up to 35% of all US imports and exports, with a potential economic impact of $4.5-7.5 billion…each week. Around 45,000 dockworkers went on strike this Tuesday, in a move that could temporarily put up to 105,000 workers out of work, according to an Oxford Economics report.

❗Why this matters.
The first strike in almost 50 years affects a tremendous variety of goods: from food to furniture, clothing, household goods, European wine, beer, and liquor, and even autos. The work stoppage also affects the flow of parts needed to keep US factories operating, and additionally freezes US exports from moving through those ports, hurting sales for American companies. (In other words: no ship, Sherlock.) It’s also yet another indication of the anxiety in certain labor markets about automation and AI taking over roles.

🙋What TAs should do. 
Businesses that depend on the movement of these goods are watching scared from the sidelines, while TAs in these industries should be prepared for potential hiring freezes, workforce fluctuations, and the potential need for contingency planning. Smart TAs will proactively build talent pipelines in these critical areas and brush up on their change management skills – because in times of economic uncertainty, strategic workforce planning becomes more crucial than ever.

📥️ Read more from CNN.

NUMBERS

Numbers That’ll Make You Think

  • 55% — The increase in sick leave usage by white-collar workers since 2019, according to Dayforce, a human-resources platform. (Business Insider)

  • 41% — The percentage of tech workers between the ages of 25-39, spotlighted in a new report from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (Business Insider)

  • 8% — The decline in temporary staffing revenue since August 2023 among staffing firms, according to a new survey (Staffing Industry Analysts)

  • 3.9 — The median tenure in years for wage and salary workers – the lowest in 22 years – reported by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. (Staffing Industry Analysts)

  • 84% — The increase in Northern students attending Southern public universities over the last two decades. (WSJ)

  • 8.04 million — The number of available positions in the US as of August 2024. The three-month high is at odds with other data indicating slowing demand for workers. (Bloomberg)

INDUSTRY INTEL

M&A Deals, Industry Moves, & Other Things To Know

  • RecruitmentMarketing.com is now Talivity! We empower talent professionals with innovative tools, insights, and networks to shape tomorrow's workforce. We’re also excited to introduce Tally, your HR tech AI copilot powered by insights from thousands of HR technology profiles. (Talivity)

  • Healthcare IT staffing firm Onward Consultants rebranded to Bloomforce, citing the move as reflective of their commitment to delivering innovative workforce solutions to the healthcare IT industry. (Staffing Industry Analysts)

  • Elliott Hill is stepping in as CEO for sporting giant Nike, after John Donahue’s abrupt departure last month. Hill started as an intern and retired in 2020 as President of their consumer division. (WSJ)

  • Brian Niccol reported for his first day of work as CEO of international coffee chain Starbucks after the abrupt ouster of Laxman Narasimhan. Niccol is the fourth incoming CEO in less than three years (that’s a latte!) (WSJ)

  • Retail behemoth Walmart’s Chief Talent Officer, Lo Stomski, aims to create unique career paths for the company’s 2.1 million associates, closing skills gaps with training programs, access to certificate courses, and “career explorer,” an AI tool that recommends roles. (HR Brew)

  • Employees at tech titan Amazon are reportedly “rage applying” to new external roles after CEO Andy Jassy issued a 5-day RTO mandate. Alexa, play “9-5!” (Fortune)

OPEN ROLES

Jobs You Might Want (For Yourself!)


For more of these roles delivered to your inbox every Monday, subscribe to the Talivity Jobs Weekly newsletter by clicking here. For a full list of open roles, head over to our job board by clicking here.

LAYOFFS

Places For You To Source Fresh Talent

  • Automotive giant General Motors plans to lay off 1,695 workers at its Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas, starting this November. (CNN)

  • Security compliance automation platform Drata laid off 40 people – about 9% of its workforce – aiming to drive “sustainable growth” towards a potential future IPO. (TechCrunch)

  • Payment infrastructure fintech Moov, back by notable VCs including Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital and Commerce Ventures, has laid off as many as 50 people. (LinkedIn)

EVENTS

Join Us For These Upcoming TA Events

  • Employer Brand Authenticity in an Election Year: Navigating the Political Landscape and Attracting the Next Generation of Workers

    📆 October 15, 2024 at 4:00 PM ET

    ⚡️ Master the art of employer branding amid election year challenges and attract the next generation of top talent.
    👉️ Register here.

  • Hire Innovations: Fall 2024
    📆 November 19-21, 2024 | 1:00 PM ET Daily

    ⚡️ Hire Innovations Fall 2024 is a dynamic 3-day virtual event designed to inspire and introduce you to cutting-edge technologies revolutionizing the hiring process.
    👉️ Register here.

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