Labor Notes has recently profiled a very grim convergence of unionization efforts and the sudden boom of anything flavored with artificial intelligence: the use of such technology to "replace" unionized workers.
Today's story comes from the National Eating Disorders Association, whose helpline workers recently unionized as Helpline Associates United. The helpline is similar to those operated by LGBTQ+ activist groups and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: it provides immediate person-to-person support for those with eating disorders and related mental health issues. While the helpline itself is mostly staffed by volunteers, the Associates constitute full-time staff whose job is to train and supervise those volunteers, and to step in if needed on calls—many Associates are themselves former volunteers, and have themselves formerly struggled with eating disorders.
Like other helplines, this work can also be extremely distressing and emotionally taxing, particularly when the line is understaffed. COVID-19 especially has led to an explosion of eating disorders, and according to Abbie Harper—the writer of the piece and a member of the union—NEDA contacts are up over 100% from just a few years ago. NEDA workers felt things needed to change as such—and they actually forewent asking for pay raises in favor of simply asking for more transparency, better staffing, and updated training. When NEDA declined, that was when they formed Helpline Associates United and overwhelmingly unionized.
This is where things get grim. Shortly following unionization, NEDA made a huge announcement: the helpline was being scrapped, and all Associates would be laid off and replaced with Tessa, a “wellness chatbot.” This was allegedly long in the works, but the timing seems very clearly premeditated to undercut the union. Worse, Associates and volunteers have been provided with a dichotomy of either testing the chatbot or nothing at all. Other specifics are hard to come by, even to Associates, but the helpline is expected to be shut down on June 1—and conspicuously, a public announcement has not yet been made of this huge change.
What's described here is obviously outrageous, and the union is committed to fighting it through the NLRB. An unfair labor practice has been filed alleging the move as retaliatory and if nothing else hopefully the workers can be reinstated or similar. Unfortunately, it's less clear whether NEDA's replacement of them with a chatbot can be rolled back—and NEDA has certainly given no indication it will voluntarily reconsider this automation.
