The dockworkers on strike in New Orleans and around the country want guarantees from their employers that they won't be replaced with automation.
One local economist says that's an uphill fight against the march of progress.
Man vs. machine has been an ongoing labor concern for generations, but Xavier University economist Jose Bautista says machines typically win
"If the productivity results in a worker being replaced by a more efficient machine, that's going to happen," he said.
Bautista says that's why the longshoremen strike will be hard to resolve.
"Reaching an agreement is going to be very, very difficult to achieve," said Bautista.
He says there is room for compromise, but it means workers need to show they can be as productive as the machines they fear replacing them.
