Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined Senators Gary Peters (Mich.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Kirsten Gillibrand (N.Y.) in introducing the TAA for Automation Act. Their legislation would support workers who lose their jobs due to automation through expanded access to Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits, such as job training and reemployment services. Although the current TAA program provides important support to workers who lose their jobs due to trade, workers displaced due to technological changes and automation do not currently have any access to this necessary assistance. According to a Brookings Institute report released earlier this year, approximately 25% percent of all American jobs are at high risk of being impacted by automation in the coming decades.
“Automation has the power to transform our economy, and it’s already having an impact on industries like manufacturing, food service and transportation. Innovation like this is exciting, but we need to make sure that our nation’s workers aren’t left behind as technology advances. I’m proud to cosponsor the TAA for Automation Act to ensure workers in Nevada and across the country have the resources they need to stay competitive as automation plays a larger role in our economy.”
The legislation would also establish a workforce advisory board to provide recommendations to the Department of Labor, Congress, and the public on addressing the impact of automation on the workforce, including matters related to jobs and occupations at-risk of elimination. The bill has also been endorsed by the UAW and the AFL-CIO.