Bricklayers Think They’re Safe From Robots. Decide for Yourself.<br />David Chavez and Miguel Contreras Houston, Texas<br />Gregory Canham and Sheree Canham New Berrima, Australia<br />Genaro Contreras and David Puga Phoenix, Arizona<br />Kaleb McGee and Wriston McGee Monroe, North Carolina<br />The teams consist of a mason (in blue) and a tender (in black).<br />“They will help down the road and they will make it<br />that we won’t need as many workers, but given the shortages we’re seeing now, that’s probably a good thing.”<br />But he added, “There’s a human element to a craft that you don’t get from a robot.”<br />That emphasis on craft was on full display on Jan. 24.<br />In addition, productivity — how much brick wall a laborer can complete in an hour of work — isn’t much better than it was two decades ago.<br />By QUOCTRUNG BUI and ROGER KISBY MARCH 6, 2018<br />LAS VEGAS — The bricklayers work with ruthless efficiency, scraping<br />and slathering mortar brick after brick, tamping each down to ensure everything is level.
