Unions plan pushback on proposed driverless taxi expansion in L.A.

Some labor unions, including the Teamsters, plan to push back against a plan by the self-driving car company Waymo to expand its autonomous car service in CA.

Some labor unions, including the Teamsters, plan to push back against a plan by the self-driving car company Waymo to expand its autonomous car service in California. 

The Teamsters and three other labor organizations are planning a rally Friday on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall to call for stricter regulation of driverless cars, which they say threaten the jobs of people who drive for a living. The Teamsters say they want autonomous car services to have backup human drivers, and they’re supporting a bill in the California Legislature that would grant cities and counties the authority to regulate or block services such as Waymo’s. 

Waymo, which operates fleets of autonomous cars for hire in San Francisco and Phoenix, announced plans last month to expand to two additional swaths of California: parts of greater Los Angeles and suburban towns south of San Francisco. The company, which spun off from Google in 2016, said it has more than 50,000 people on its Los Angeles waitlist for free test rides. 

The service is similar to the ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft, but the Waymo vehicles are driven by self-driving software, with no humans behind the wheel. Waymo employees are available for remote assistance if needed. 

Waymo communications manager Julia Ilina stands next to a Waymo driverless taxi in San Francisco on Feb. 15. Terry Chea / AP fileLindsay Dougherty, the Teamsters’ vice president for the western region, said in an interview that automation in driving is a long-term threat to union jobs such as truck driving and package delivery. The Teamsters represent driving workers at some companies like UPS.

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/innovation/la-waymo-driverless-cars-union-teamsters-rcna136836

---