Published
October 03, 2026
For years, longshore unions have argued that automation threatens waterfront employment. Most recently, a coalition of unions led by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) and the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) accused the global supply chain company DP World of using automation and artificial intelligence to weaken organized labor and eliminate jobs. Naturally, their opposition comes with open threats too, such as the head of the ILA’s threat that any company implementing “job-destroying automation” will face “a global strike of three to four weeks.”
From employers’ perspective, however, the evidence from Canada’s West Coast ports tells a very different story.
A recent report prepared by KPMG LLP for the British Columbia Maritime Employers Association (BCMEA) found that modernization has coincided with substantial growth in both cargo volumes and waterfront employment. Between 2009 and 2025, cargo moving through West Coast ports increased by more than 70%, as did the waterfront workforce. Payroll hours rose even faster, demonstrating that modernization has been associated with more work, not less.
The experience at DP World’s Centerm terminal in Vancouver offers a particularly compelling example. According to both the KPMG report and DP World, the terminal’s modernization project expanded capacity by 65% to 1.5 million TEUs while increasing supervisory workforce levels by roughly 75% (TEU refers to the Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit, which is the standard unit of measurement used in the shipping and logistics industry to describe cargo capacity on container ships and at port terminals).
Rather than displacing workers, the report concludes that workforce growth was driven by upskilling and the evolution of existing roles. Semi-automated rail-mounted gantry cranes improved rail capacity, which in turn created demand for additional operating crews, supervisors, and maintenance personnel.
Employers also point to the significant investments made in workforce development. The report highlights ongoing training in remote operations, modern equipment, and advanced safety procedures, supported by hundreds of millions of dollars in training and upskilling investments.
Technological change inevitably alters how work is performed, but the record in Canada’s ports suggests that modernization is not a choice between technology and jobs. Instead, it can be a pathway to greater port capacity, stronger trade competitiveness, and expanded employment opportunities.
As Canada seeks to grow exports and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global shipping industry, employers there know that resisting modernization risks sacrificing future jobs rather than protecting them. It stands to reason that the same is true in the United States.
About the author
Sean P. Redmond
Sean P. Redmond is Vice President, Labor Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
