Worker strikes are surging. Strains of technology may be to blame in part.
Hollywood actors, Starbucks baristas and Amazon workers among those on strike. A surge of work stoppages this year involving hundreds of thousands of employees has drawn attention to bold demands over wage increases and benefits as unions pursue raises that outpace rapid price hikes. However, at a moment when a tight job market affords unions considerable leverage, many workers out on strike have also advocated terms for the adoption of technology that could shape their workplaces for years or even decades, according to ABC News' interviews with academics who study technology and the workplace. Hollywood writers and actors on the picket lines have called for fair treatment as studios shift to streaming and incorporate artificial intelligence. Autoworkers have demanded a transition to electric vehicles that ensure employees keep their jobs. And hotel workers out on strike are asking for automatic digital tipping and the income gains it promises. Corporate Amazon employees walked of...