, a DOCUMENT RESUME ED 021 984 VT 004 125 By-Karp, William DANGER! AUTOMATION AT WORK; REPORTOF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS COMMISSIONON AUTOMATION AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS. Illinois State Commission on Automation andTechnological Progress, Chicago. Pub Date 1 Apr 67 Note-110p. EDRS Price MF-$0.50 HC-$4.48 Descriptors- ADULT VOCATIONAL EDUCATION.*AUTOMATION, BANKING, *CHANGEAGENTS, ECONOMIC ROLE, FACTORS ECONOMIC PROGRESS, EMPLOYMENTOPPORTUNITIES, FIELD STUDIES *GOVERNMENT PLANNING, PUBLIC POLICY, INSURANCE COMPANIES INVESTIGATIONS,MEAT PACKING INDUSTRY, PROGRAM SOCIAL FACTORS STATE AGENCIES *TECHNOLOGICALADVANCEMENT, VOCATIONAL EDUCATION Identifiers- Illinois, Manpower Development andTraining ;.ct Programs, MDTA Programs The 74th Illinois General Assemblycreated the Illinois Commission onAutomation and Technological Progress tostudy and analyze the economicand social effects of automation and othertechnological changes on industry, commerce,agriculture, education, manpower, and society inIllinois. Commission members visitedindustrial plants and business and governmentoffices having automated andcomputerized systems. One-day hearings wereheld on the .meat packing,banking, and insurance industries, and a 2-day hearing was, held onthe vocational educationand manpower training programs. TheCommission's investigations revealedthat (1) Technological change has brought about such events asobsolescence of meatpackingplants, a decline in railroad jobs, and a reduction inital mining operations, (2) The Manpower Development and Training Act is failing to meetthe needs of changingindustries, (3) The vocational education system is notkeeping up with current needs,(4) Industry is not contributing enough to retrainingworkers displaced by automation,(5) Government agencies are not doing enough toconduct research into new occupationalfields, and (6) The financing of job programs must bechanged so that local authorities canbe brought into closer contact with the programs.Based on its findings, theCommission formulated 22 recommendations in the natureof proposals and suggestedchanges in public policy and programs. (HC) C f I IP * I If o o et .i a 1110 WELFARE U.S. DEPARTMENT OFHEALTH, EDUCATION & OFFICE OF EDUCATION REPRODUCED EXACTLY ASRECEIVED FROM THE THIS DOCUMENT HAS BEEN POINTS OF VIEW OROPINION PERSON OR ORGANIZATIONORIGINATING IT. REPRESENT OFFICIAL OFFICEOF EDUCATION STATED DO NOT NECESSARILY POSITION OR POLICY. MEMBERS CHAIRMAN STATE SENATORS STATE REPRESENTATIVE CHESTER P. MAJEWSKI MORGAN U. FINLEY 73197 W. ADDISON ST. JOHN A. GRAHAM CHICAGO. ILLINOIS 10934 BERTH. T. ROSANDER TELEPHONE 111.0371 PAUL A. ZIEGLER VICE CHAIRMAN STATE REPRESENTATIVES STATE SENATOR STATE OF ILLINOJS I. DAVID JONES TOM MERRITT WILLIAM. J. SCHOENINGER 2021. MARKET ST. COMMISSION ON AUTOMATION JAMES VON BOECKMAN HOOPESTON. 11.LINOIS110542 JOHN CLINTON YOULE TELEPHONE SO AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS PUBLIC MEMBERS SECRETARY MILTON BRAM MR. WILLIAM KARP RUDDY W. DAVIS 900 N. MICHIGAN AVE. EUGENE GLOVER CHICAGO. ILLINOIS MIMI LARRY S. PROVO TELEPHONE MI 2.3412 The Honorable Otto Kerner Governor of the State of Illinois and Members of the Illinois General. Assembly Gentlemen: In behalf of the members of the Illinois Commission on'Aufomation and Technological Progress, I have the honor to transmit to you a Report ofactivities as required by HB 1310. This Report summarizes information and data received in proceedings before the Commission duringthe period 1965-67. Based on our findings, we present a series of twenty-two (22) recommendations which we believeworthy of your consideration. Members of the Commission wish to express their appreciation for an opportunity to serve the State ofIlli- nois in this field. Respectfully submitted, 7) Chester P. Majcwski Chairman There is danger in automation, but only if do nothing about it. 1967 Report of the State of Illinois Commissionon Automation and Technological Progress .Invention and innovation lie at the heart of the process by which America has grown and renewed itself. TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION : ITS ENVIRONMENT AND MANAGEM EN"! U. S. Department of Commerce, January, 1967 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: A67-7275 2 RE PORT _ ID of the State of Illinois Commissionon Automation and Technological Progress, Prepared under the Direction of WILLIAM KARP, Public Member and Secretary , State of Illinois, April 1,1967 State of Illinois Commission on .., Automation and Technological Progress OFFICERS OF THE COMMISSION CHAIRMAN VICE CHAIRMAN SECRETARY State Re_p_r_esentatiTie' State Senator Public Member CHESTER P. MAJEWSKI Tom MERRITT WILLIAM KARP MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION STATE SENATORS STATE REPRESENTATIVES MORGAN M. FINLEY J. DAVID JONES JOHN A. GRAHAM CHESTER P. MAJEWSKI TOM MERRITT WILLIAM J. SCHOENINGER BERTIL T. ROSANDER JAMES VON BOECKMAN PAUL A. ZIEGLER JOHN CLINTON YOULE PUBLIC MEMBERS MILTON BRAM* WILLIAM KARP Milton Bram & Associates, Inc. President, William Karp Consulting BUDDY DAVIS Company, Inc. Staff Representative, United States Steelworkers, LARRY S. PROVO District No. 34 Executive Vice President, Chicago & North Western Railway EUGENE GLOVER General Vice President, ReplacedFrank H. Cassell International Association who resigned to become Direc- of Machinists tor of U.S. Employment Service For More Information on the Appointment and Composition of the Commission See Page 12. Table of Contents Letter of Transmittal 1 Commission Officers; CommissionMembers 4 Foreword and Acknowledgements 6 Illinois Takes a Hard Look atAutomation 11 A Summary Illinois and Automation Mirror The Nation and Automation 17 An Introduction The Commission Investigates 33 Digest of the Hearings Meat Packing Industry 34 6 Banking Industry 49 Insurance Industry 61 Vocational Education and Manpower Training 70 1965-67/The Cost of Acting onAutomation 95 1967-69/The Commission Program 96 Proposed 1967-69 Budget 98 Recommendations of the Commission 99 Appendix A ppendiX I The Creating Legislation 104 House Bill 1310 Appendix 2 List of HearingWitnesses 105 5 FOREWORD ANDACKNOWLEDGEMENTS cientific and technologicalprogress has been moving forward with greatmo- mentum. In 1961 alone, 49,980 inventionswere patented from among 85,776 applications. The number of inventions patented inthat one year was equal to the number patented in the first hundredyears of United States history. American standards of life have undergone markedchanges in every direction. In recent years, through television, radio,magazines and newspapers, the public at large has come to recognize the vast effects of scienceand technology upon their daily lives. Everywhere there is speculationabout the future and the meaning of these developments for hiiman life. Most people have lookedupon technological progress and these changes as beneficial. Both nuclear fission and fusion promise entirelynew ways of thinking about what energy is, where itcomes from, and how it can be put to work. Tiavel to distant points has been shortened from weeksor even months to hours. Com- Munication time has been abbreviated from daysto microseconds. Many dirty, menial and repetitive jobs have been eliminated.Working hours have been short- ened. Increased wages in the United Stateshave raised living standards fora larger number of people beyondthose in any country in history. More leisure time prevails. The quality of life itselfhas been raised alonga broad front. New interests and experiences have addedzest to the lives of many Americans. On the other hand, rapidly advancingtechnology has heightenedconcerns and fears that have led some to question its benefits.One of the greatest concerns today is the possibility of annihilation by"the bomb." Anotherconcern is the harmful impact of modern technologyupon the health and welfare of the com- munity. Urban congestion, slums, and depletionof natural resources are also persistent problems. Still anotherconcern is the impact of industrial, technical and urban aggregations upon human personalityresulting in such symptomsas inse- curity, monotony, alienation, and mental illness.Yet another concern is the belief that technological change, including automation,will soon eliminatemany un- skilled, semi-skilled, skilled, andeven office jobs. On balance, scientific and technologicalprogress has been a boon to the people 6 of Illinois and the country. There is no reason tocurtail innovation or slowdown the rate of progress. The great task before 1.2iS to exerciseintelligent control over science andtechnology towards the end of fulfillmentof human purposes and social goals. In this direction lies theenrichment of human life forall of our citizens. Technological innovation carries great promisefor Illinois. But whatwill be the effects of these developments uponindustry, agriculture, government, com- munity life and culture? Will increases inproductive output of goodsand services mean large scale jobdisplacement? How will productivitygains be shared? Will unemployment increase and persist?Will economic stability beimpaired? The 3e and many other questions can beasked, but they cannot beanswered easily. In fact, at the present time, we do notknow the precise impacttechnological progress has had or will have in the future uponindustry, labor and government.We know even less how science andtechnology affect social,economic and political institutions. To search for an answer tothese and other questions, Isponsored H.B. 1310 legislature. House Bill and was joined in this sponsorshipby other members of the 1310 was passed in the 1965session of the Illinois GeneralAssembly