I think of there were honest, actually effective and humane means in place to get new, we'll payed jobs in the area for the folks in the union (or financial support for this those for who a career change isn't as easy for one reason or another) the automation would be seen quite differently.
There is no such thing however, not really. Yes, the world doesn't owe these workers indefinite employment in a specific job. But reality also doesn't owe us or the employer a steady progression towards more efficiency, and workers can (and often will) organize against it of they stand to be hurt.
I think this is the big point that we, as a society, are missing.
Take a look at Walmart greeters. Why does that job exist? It's pretty much worthless. Now look at who works the job: elderly people past retirement age, physically disabled people, mentally disabled people.
Physical laborers often work a physical labor job for a reason. There's a reason they didn't go to college and sit at a comfy desk writing shitty websites.
It's not as simple as "oh those people can just work another job!" Extrapolate this out. Say we eliminate all physical jobs; how many millions of people will be left behind? What happens to them? Do they die?
I agree, but these measures are extraordinarily unpopular with the American public. They won't be forever, but until then, we HAVE to keep around "useless" jobs.
UBI supported by a tax on robot labor might really be the way to go. With the speed that automation is developing, I might see it in my gen-X lifetime.
There is no such thing however, not really. Yes, the world doesn't owe these workers indefinite employment in a specific job. But reality also doesn't owe us or the employer a steady progression towards more efficiency, and workers can (and often will) organize against it of they stand to be hurt.