The California State Assembly has passed Assembly Bill 33 (AB33), a bill supported by the Teamsters union. The legislation, authored by Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, seeks to mandate the presence of a trained human operator in any autonomous vehicle used for delivering commercial goods to residences or businesses. The bill now awaits consideration by the state Senate.
Peter Finn, President of Teamsters Joint Council 7 in San Francisco, emphasized the importance of the legislation for protecting workers and maintaining middle-class jobs. “State lawmakers have an obligation to support workers and middle-class jobs, and that’s exactly what this legislation does,” he stated. He highlighted California’s role as a battleground against automation-driven job losses orchestrated by large technology companies.
The push for regulation comes as autonomous vehicle startups face setbacks. Recently, Waymo and Zoox issued recalls after safety issues, while Aurora Innovation reverted to using human operators following a brief period without them.
Chris Griswold, President of Teamsters Joint Council 42 in Pomona, expressed concerns about automated driving systems replacing professional drivers. “We’ve seen enough of what automated driving actually looks like — it is dangerous, disastrous, and vastly inferior to a highly trained human operator,” Griswold said. He urged swift legislative action on AB33 to prevent such outcomes and safeguard employment opportunities.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million members across North America. Further information can be found on their website and social media platforms.
