Is Automation Threatening American Jobs? Democrats Debate – The New York Times

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In the pivotal industrial state of Ohio, which has been devastated by the announced closure of a General Motors plant, the Democratic contenders railed against automation and the trade policies of the Trump administration during Tuesday nights debate.

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts said the greed of multinational corporations has chipped away at the middle class, which she vowed to strengthen with her plan to extend the solvency of Social Security and a $200 monthly benefits increase that she claimed would elevate five million families above the poverty line.

The populist pitch of Senator Warren, who has made up ground on former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., came in a state that President Trump carried in 2016 and that is critical to his re-election prospects.

The data show that we have had a lot of problems with losing jobs, Senator Warren said.

She continued:

The reason is bad trade policy. The reason has been a bunch of giant multinational corporations who have been calling the shots on trade. Giant multinational corporations that have no loyalty to America. They have no loyalty to American workers. They have no loyalty to American consumers. They have no loyalty to American communities. They are loyal only to their own bottom line.

Andrew Yang, the former tech executive and entrepreneur, used the issue of automation to promote his universal basic income payment plan, which he has called a freedom dividend.

Senator Warren, I have been talking to Americans around the country about automation, Mr. Yang said.

He continued:

They are smart. They see whats happening around them. The stores are closing. They see a self-serve kiosk in every grocery store, every CVS. Driving a truck is the most common job in 29 states; 3.5 million truck drivers in this country. My friends are piloting self-driving trucks. What does that mean for the 3.5 million truckers or seven million Americans who work in truck stops, motels and diners that rely upon the truckers getting out and having a meal? Saying this is a rules problem is ignoring the reality that Americans see every day.

The former housing secretary Julin Castro said the Trump administration has not delivered on its populist message in states like Ohio, where a stalemate between G.M. and the United Auto Workers culminated with the closure of the automakers Lordstown plant and the loss of 14,000 jobs.

G.M. has said that Mr. Trumps tariffs on steel, aluminum and other goods have cost the company $1 billion in profits.

I believe that we need to address a community being impacted by automation, Mr. Castro said. We need to spark job opportunity. As I mentioned earlier, here in Ohio, in the latest jobs data, Ohio is losing jobs under Donald Trump.

Isabella Grulln Paz contributed reporting.

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Is Automation Threatening American Jobs? Democrats Debate - The New York Times