"AI Is Here, and It Is Real" – ABWU General Secretary David Massiah says the Union Must Change with the World of Work

General Secretary (GS) of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) David Massiah has declared that artificial intelligence has already begun reshaping the local workforce, warning that the union must transform how it organises, communicates and negotiates — without abandoning its founding principles.

"AI is here. And it is real," GS Massiah told delegates at the opening ceremony of the union's 59th Annual Delegates Conference on Sunday. "It is no longer something discussed in science fiction, technology conferences, or lurking in our imaginations... It is entering workplaces, changing how information is processed, services are delivered, how jobs are performed, and it has the potential to change the very definition of work."

Opening with the maxim that "not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced," the General Secretary said the union can approach AI neither with fear nor blind optimism. Instead, he called for AI literacy, durable human skills, continuous learning and "a strong, united workers' voice," insisting that workers must be involved in the discussions, decision-making and training surrounding technological change. "We can no longer say that as workers, our livelihood will not be affected by AI. It has already started to affect our workforce," he said.

"If the world of work is changing, the union must change with it," GS Massiah declared, but was quick to add a caveat: "Changing does not mean abandoning our principles. It means finding new ways to apply the same principles."

The General Secretary also weighed in on social protection, describing social security "not as a favour to workers, but as an important pillar of social justice." In remarks likely to resonate amid ongoing concerns about workers' entitlements, he insisted that employees "who have given years of their lives to an institution must not be left at the back of the line when financial difficulties arise," and that legitimate entitlements — including severance where applicable — "must be protected."

GS Massiah challenged the ABWU to examine itself with hard questions: whether it is communicating effectively with members, using technology to improve service, delivering timely training and information, and developing the next generation of leaders. He made a direct appeal to young workers, telling them the union needs their participation, energy and ideas, and that the hands set to hold the baton must be "educated, involved, organised and serious."

Still, he cautioned that no innovation could substitute for the movement's core strength. "Technology can assist us in many things, but it cannot replace solidarity," he said.

Urging delegates not to leave the conference with mere resolutions and reports, Massiah called for a renewed sense of purpose ahead of a landmark anniversary. "Our history must be our foundation, but not our limitation," he said, adding that the next chapter "will not write itself" as the union prepares for what he called the "historic moment" of its 60th year in 2027.