By: Dr. Stephanie Diana Eubank DBA 

A few weeks ago, I received a text from one of my sisters who works in Human Resources. Completely out of the blue, she asked, ‘Do you think there will be human unions soon?’ My immediate response was another question: Do you mean unions for robots and AI systems doing labor and demanding representation? Or do you mean unions formed by people who are being replaced by AI? The truth is that both are fair questions. The fact that either interpretation seems plausible tells us a lot about where work is heading. 

For years, conversations about technology and labor have often been framed as a battle. Technology versus workers. Automation versus jobs. AI versus humans. But history suggests that the relationship is much more complicated. The current rise in union activity and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence are symptoms of the same broader issue: workers and employers are renegotiating what value looks like in a changing economy. 

Recent labor data show that interest in unionization remains strong. The National Labor Relations Board reported receiving 3,286 union election petitions during fiscal year 2024, a 27% increase over the previous year and more than double the number filed in 2021. Public support for unions has also remained historically high, with Gallup reporting approximately 70% approval of labor unions, levels not consistently seen since the 1960s. 

Many people are surprised when they learn that modern Human Resources departments did not emerge solely from a desire to support employees. The history is more nuanced. Early personnel management functions developed alongside growing labor movements, labor regulation, and collective bargaining requirements during the twentieth century. As unions gained influence, companies increasingly needed specialists to manage labor relations, employee policies, and workplace disputes. In some organizations, personnel departments were used to improve worker relations and reduce labor conflict. In others, they were explicitly designed to discourage union organizing and maintain management control. 

That history does not make HR inherently bad, just as the existence of unions does not make management inherently bad. Both evolved as responses to workplace realities. HR can advocate for healthy workplaces, employee development, and fair employment practices. Unions can provide employees with collective bargaining power and a structured voice. Problems arise when either side views the other as the enemy instead of a stakeholder. 

The same principle applies to artificial intelligence. AI is not inherently good or bad. It is a tool. Like every major technological innovation before it, AI can be used to enhance human capability or to eliminate roles without adequately considering the human impact. The tool itself is neutral. The decisions surrounding its implementation are not. 

What fascinates me about my sister’s question is that it points toward a future where workers may increasingly organize around technology-related concerns. Employees are already asking questions about surveillance, automated performance management, algorithmic decision-making, job displacement, retraining opportunities, and revenue generated through AI-enabled productivity gains. Those concerns are not anti-technology. They are negotiations about value. 

Perhaps the more important lesson is that unions and AI are both feedback mechanisms. Rising union activity signals that workers want a stronger voice. Rapid AI adoption signals that organizations want greater efficiency and competitive advantage. Neither signal should be ignored. Instead, they should inform a larger conversation about how work is designed and how value is shared. 

Companies may be rediscovering a lesson that many business leaders learn repeatedly throughout history: people remain their greatest asset. Software can automate tasks. Algorithms can process information at staggering speed. Machines can scale production. Yet creativity, judgment, empathy, trust, collaboration, and relationship building remain deeply human strengths. Organizations that forget this often discover that efficiency alone does not create sustainable success. 

Likewise, employees may need to sharpen skills that are often overlooked: communication, negotiation, adaptability, and the ability to clearly articulate value. Whether discussing compensation, workplace flexibility, AI implementation, accommodations, professional development, or job design, the ability to communicate contribution and negotiate mutually beneficial outcomes will become increasingly important. 

Maybe the future is not about unions versus AI. Maybe it is about building workplaces where both labor and technology are represented in thoughtful decision-making. If AI is changing the nature of work, then workers deserve a seat at the table. If organizations are investing billions in technology, they should invest just as intentionally in the humans who make those technologies useful. 

So when my sister asked, ‘Do you think there will be human unions soon?’ I realized the better question might be this: What does meaningful representation look like in an age of artificial intelligence? However we answer that question, one thing seems clear. The future of work will belong to organizations and workers who learn how to communicate, negotiate, and create value together. 

References 

Gallup. (2024). Labor union approval at 70% (reported in 2024 Gallup polling). https://news.gallup.com/poll/12751/labor-unions.aspx 

National Labor Relations Board. (2024). Election reports and representation case activity. https://www.nlrb.gov/reports/agency-performance-report/election-reports/election-reports-fy-2024 

Society for Human Resource Management. (2023). How we got here: The 75-year evolution of SHRM and HR. https://www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/hr-magazine/how-got-75-year-evolution-shrm-hr 

Book Information  
Remote Work Is Here to Stay: Rethinking Operations Management in the Modern Work Era  
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Also, be sure to check out my first textbook on Operations Management. The book is titled “Remote Work Is Here to Stay: Rethinking Operations Management in the Modern Work Era.” You can purchase the textbook on Amazon at the link below.