Instead of taking operator demands seriously, union leadership praised automation for its promise of leisure. For instance, Communications Workers of America President Joe Beirne stated, “For ourselves, we welcome automation because we see in it a level for higher wages, longer vacations, shorter hours, and ultimately, greater security for ourselves and the American people.” 79 If these beneficial effects were to come— and they largely were not—they would be at the expense of operators, who found themselves out of jobs [...]