AFSCME Local 1624 President, Brydan Summers, speaking at Austin City Hall.
Workers face an existential threat from artificial intelligence (AI). That’s if employers start using AI willy-nilly and use it to replace humans. Members of AFSCME Local 1624 in the Texas state capital recognized this issue and did something about it.
They celebrated the Austin City Council’s recent passage of Item 55. That resolution sets up strong ethical guardrails and worker protections as the City of Austin adopts AI into its work.
“We support innovation — but it must come with safeguards,” said Local 1624 President Brydan Summers, who spoke at the city council meeting in April in support of the resolution.
“This resolution ensures AI is used to support — not replace — public workers,” Summers said. “By requiring human oversight, banning continuous surveillance, and protecting workers from AI-only decisions, Item 55 puts the safety and dignity of the workforce first.”
Local 1624 includes nearly 5,000 City of Austin and Travis County workers. Members worked closely with the Austin City Council to shape the AI policy and make sure labor had a seat at the table.
A key victory in Item 55 is the “no job displacement without consultation” policy. This guarantees that no AI system will wipe out or drastically change jobs without first engaging with affected employees and their union.
The resolution protects against AI-based productivity scoring. It requires direct notice to employees. And it establishes a right to appeal AI-influenced decisions. It also commits the city to consulting with AFSCME and front-line worker representatives as new technologies are introduced.
“AI decisions shouldn’t happen to us — they should happen with us,” Summers said.