KTLA 5 – California union believes Waymos should be off the streets
See original article by Will Conybeare at KTLA 5
One of California’s largest unions says it believes Waymo should have their operating license suspended in the wake of a crash involving a 5-year-old.
In a statement released Monday morning, Teamsters California co-chairs Peter Finn and Victor Mineros demanded that the company’s operating license be suspended indefinitely by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), citing an incident where a Waymo struck a 5-year-old outside a school in Santa Monica last week.
The child was injured in the incident, which Finn and Mineros described as “a horrifying wake-up call for California policymakers who have repeatedly ignored the growing list of red flags concerning robotaxis.”
A federal investigation has since been launched, led by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“This incident is emblematic of the broader goal Big Tech companies have to replace skilled human labor with AI,” the Teamsters statement reads. “They want to force millions of people into destitution by destroying their livelihoods, seize money that belongs to workers and force communities to reckon with the fallout of automation’s shortcomings.”
The statement from the union, which represents 250,000 workers across dozens of industries, went on to say that it’s not just the union that wants Waymos off the roads; the same sentiment is felt across communities.
“Parents, teachers, school workers and community members have been demanding that these vehicles be kept away from school zones,” the statement reads. “Waymo vehicles have continued to illegally ignore school bus stop signs despite a company-wide software recall and another, separate NHTSA investigation. Parents, teachers, school workers, and community members have been demanding that these vehicles be kept away from school zones.”
“Waymo and its parent company, Google, choose to ignore those warnings,” the statement continued.
KTLA reached out to Waymo for comment on the matter but did not immediately receive a response.
See original article by Will Conybeare at KTLA 5
