Press Releases
Boston Teamsters to Waymo: Hit the Brakes
Union, Coalition Calls for AV Accountability at City Hall
Press Contact: Matt McQuaid Phone: (771) 241-0015 Email: mmcquaid@teamster.org
(BOSTON) – Teamsters were joined by a union coalition and elected officials in Government Center yesterday to demand regulation for Waymo and other Autonomous Vehicle (AV) companies before they are allowed to operate in the city.
Both at a hearing and a rally outside of City Hall, the coalition called for the passage of an ordinance — sponsored by Boston City Councilors Henry Santana and Erin Murphy — to study the impact AVs will have on the economy, traffic, and public safety. The ordinance would also create an advisory board composed of trade unionists and other stakeholders to assess those findings, which would guide any future rules for AV operators in the city.
“The Big Tech companies putting driverless cars and trucks on our road like to describe themselves as people who are building some sort of utopia, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Tom Mari, President of Teamsters Local 25. “Waymo is steamrolling into cities throughout our country without concern for workers or residents. They’re doing this because they want to make trillions of dollars by eliminating jobs.”
Waymo is currently mapping Boston streets and pushing a bill in the Massachusetts State House that would allow it to expand into the Commonwealth. The efforts come despite the fact that Waymo is being federally investigated, has issued multiple safety recalls, and has been involved in hundreds of accidents throughout the country.
“This isn’t just about my job, it’s about public safety for everyone,” said Arthur Gufling, a Local 25 member and paratransit driver for the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center. “Boston streets are narrow, dense, and crowded. We regularly get 20 inches of snow in the winter. You need good instincts and common sense to drive around here, and that can’t be programmed.”
A recording of the city council hearing is available here.
Teamsters Local 25 represents more than 13,000 members and their families in greater Boston and southern New England. For more information, visit teamsterslocal25.com.