Teamsters returned to the Massachusetts State House to amplify their demand for regulation and accountability for autonomous vehicle (AV) operators attempting to expand in Massachusetts, at a legislative briefing sponsored by State Representative Jessica Giannino and State Senator Paul Feeney.
Teamsters and labor allies from the State Police Association of Massachusetts, MA AFL-CIO, and App Drivers Union urged lawmakers and staff to pass “An Act Relative to the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles” (S.2393/H.3669). The bill addresses public safety and workforce concerns and requires human operators in all AVs, allowing them to monitor the vehicle’s performance and intervene if necessary.
“Waymo and other greedy AV companies are aggressively pushing a bill that would further boost profits by taking jobs away from millions of workers,” said Tom Mari, President of Teamsters Local 25. “Our elected leaders have a responsibility to support the middle class, and they can do that by killing the Big Tech bill and pass a law requiring human operators in driverless cars and trucks.”
“The Big Tech companies say they’re moving toward a utopian future, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Steve South, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 25. “They are steamrolling into American cities with their vehicles because they stand to make billions of dollars replacing good jobs with these robots.”
Waymo’s push to expand comes even though the company is under federal investigation, has issued multiple safety recalls, and was involved in hundreds of crashes throughout the country. Teamsters drivers speaking as part of a worker panel urged lawmakers to pass the proposed legislation in the name of public safety, stressing the critical importance of human instincts and decision-making.
“Every day, I use my judgment to scan for dangers—I know that if a ball rolls into the street, a small child isn’t far behind it,” said Jack Maier, a Teamsters Local 25 member and package car driver at UPS in Watertown. “No robotaxi or robo delivery vehicle can match the split-second decisions a human being makes.”
Similar Teamsters-backed legislation is pending in Oregon and Texas. The California Assembly has already passed a bill this session requiring human operators in commercial vehicles.
“These AVs put everyone on the road at risk, especially my clients, who are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities,” said Arthur Gufling, a Teamsters Local 25 member and paratransit driver for the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. “Every day, I go through a step-by-step safety check to make sure our clients are safe before we even start moving. I’m trained in CPR and first aid. We go through regular training because we need to be prepared for medical emergencies. You cannot automate that kind of care.”
Maier detailed for lawmakers how he used those human instincts recently to potentially save a life — something an AV could not do.
“This summer, while out on my route, I spotted a man collapsed on the ground. He was unconscious and unresponsive, and it became clear he had overdosed. I stayed with him, flagged down someone he knew, and called 911. When first responders arrived, they administered Narcan. Had I not seen him and acted quickly, he might have died.”
Teamsters Local 25 is New England’s largest Teamsters union with 13,000 members.
