As a looming strike of East Coast port workers spanning more than 30 major ports that process over half of U.S. container activity threatens to clog up the movement of goods into, out of, and throughout the United States, the matter of automation plays a key role in negotiations.

According to International Longshoreman’s Association Executive Vice President Dennis Daggett, “Automation, which I believe we are going to be battling for the rest of our existence, is a high-priority issue.”