ILWU president warns APM Terminals automation will cost San Pedro Bay dock jobs

Gary Herrera, president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 13, told a public comment session that automation and artificial intelligence at terminals in the San Pedro Bay port complex threaten dockworker jobs and the surrounding communities.

"You know what? I don't want to have Bernie working here on the dock anymore. I want to have a robot," Herrera said, calling the shift "corporate greed." He identified the operator as APM Terminals and said one terminal there "just recently went automated." Herrera quoted explanations by the operator and said they were "not doing it for efficiency... simply doing this to get rid of labor."

Herrera said ILWU members in Southern California are "fighting for our jobs" as automation and AI arrive at the waterfront. He noted the local footprint of the workforce—"54% live within 5 miles, 73% live within 10 miles"—to argue the loss of roughly a thousand jobs would depress patronage of nearby businesses and erode the community's economic base. "What would a thousand jobs here do when they're gone and it will destroy our community?" he asked.

While Herrera acknowledged that some technological changes have improved safety and productivity, he said the current wave of automation is intended to replace labor rather than augment it. "They built robots to replace our muscles... And now they're building uh AI to replace our brains," he said, adding that the terminal’s move to full automation left "nobody inside those gates" and replaced human crews with machines.

Herrera also framed the trend as driven by foreign shipping companies, saying they "are coming here with their shipping lines" and attempting to run terminals in ways that displace American workers. He tied the issue to workers' dignity and community stability, urging colleagues and neighbors to resist the changes and "fight back."

The transcript contains only Herrera's remarks; no response from terminal operators or a governing body was recorded in this excerpt. Herrera concluded by stressing the local stakes for future generations if jobs continue to be replaced by automation.