Nevada Unions Endorse Aaron Ford as Workers Split Between AI Construction Jobs and AI Job Threats
After talking with almost 200 candidates, the Teamsters backed a candidate who says unions should have a seat at the table on automation.
Reuters World News · Spain mourns, Bolsonaro's declaration and cruise residents strandedAfter meeting with nearly 200 candidates for governor, Nevada's Teamsters unions, a large group of local unions, endorsed Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford. As it met, the union was weighing one question facing labor, how to welcome jobs coming from the AI expansion while defending members whose jobs the technology could shrink.
Ford, who received the endorsement, argued unions must be part of answering it. "We are a union town, and getting unions at the table to discuss what they envision as opportunities for AI coexisting with them in their work is a paramount import," he said.
In Reno, the new work means construction jobs. Chris Williams, 20, moved there after not getting enough shifts cooking in California. He now helps build the large data centers that run AI systems, part of a hiring surge tied to projects from companies including Google and Switch. "I might not fully agree with being like data centers being built everywhere, but it is helping a lot of people," Williams said.
About 400 miles south in Las Vegas, the same technology looks like a threat to hospitality work. Larry Goldfinger, a valet on the Strip with 30 years in the business, said more front desks now steer guests to check in on a phone and pick up keys without seeing a worker.
Goldfinger described what he believes a worker does that phone check-in would not. A guest mentions it is an anniversary, the clerk offers congratulations, and later a gift basket arrives in the room because someone remembered. "You'll lose that," he said. "And that's definitely what makes Vegas Vegas."
Questions people ask
Why are so many data centers being built near Reno?
Northern Nevada offers relatively cheap land, access to power and fiber-optic lines, and state tax incentives for large projects. Data centers also favor dry, cooler climates that lower cooling costs, and Reno is close enough to California tech markets without California land prices.
What Las Vegas hospitality jobs are most exposed to automation?
Front desk, reservations, valet dispatch, and food ordering are among the earliest affected, because phone check-in, key codes, and kiosks can handle routine transactions. Jobs that rely on physical presence, judgment, or personal service, like housekeeping, bartending, and high-touch concierge work, are harder to replace. Unions have focused contract talks on notice, retraining, and staffing minimums.
What do unions usually mean by AI coexisting with work?
In recent hospitality and auto contracts, it has meant rules requiring employers to bargain before introducing automation, offer retraining for affected workers, and share productivity gains through wages or staffing guarantees. The Teamsters, who represent truck drivers and warehouse and hospitality support workers, have also sought limits on driverless vehicles and automated management. The details vary by contract and city.