# US workers are fighting to protect their jobs from AI – and winning

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/us-workers-are-fighting-to-protect-their-jobs-from-ai-and-winning/
- Published: 2026-11-12T15:00:44+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-12T15:20:49+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/nov/12/us-workers-governments-unions-ai
- Topics: AI, Americas, Business, Economy, Government, Politics, Technology, World

## Key points

- Oakland workers won proposed safeguards after authorising a strike.
- Nearly 70% of state and local agencies are adopting or implementing generative AI.
- Unions are negotiating protections against job loss and workplace monitoring.

## Summary

Workers and unions across the United States are bargaining for safeguards as public employers adopt AI, arguing that automated tools could threaten jobs, increase surveillance and unfairly assess staff. In Oakland, a union’s strong strike mandate helped secure a tentative agreement requiring the city to retrain or reassign workers displaced by AI, putting a planned strike on hold.

A survey conducted in July and August 2026 found that nearly 70% of state and local government agencies had adopted or were implementing generative AI. Unions are using contract negotiations to seek protections such as limits on monitoring and guarantees against AI-driven dismissals, while researchers warn that workplace systems can track activity and rank workers. Some protections are being won: California’s Communications Workers of America secured some AI safeguards in October 2026.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.