The Teamsters semi-truck blared its horn outside a swanky cocktail party today, where Waymo lobbyists were trying to woo politicians to allow robotaxis on the streets of Seattle. Union workers on the scene waved signs, distributed leaflets, and chanted, ‘Hell no, Waymo!’ and ‘Human drivers, not corporate robots.’ The action was part of a coordinated effort by ridehail drivers, Teamsters, and their labor and community allies to push back on the Google-based company’s plans to unleash robotaxis into local communities.

“With driverless robotaxis, Waymo wants to conduct a dangerous experiment on the residents of Seattle,” said Paul Dascher, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 117. “These vehicles have been known to hit pedestrians, block emergency vehicles, and impede the flow of traffic. Seattle needs human drivers, not corporate robots.”

Peter Kuel, President of Drivers Union, a voice for 30,000 ridehail drivers in Washington State, warned that a proliferation of robotaxis in Seattle would lead to massive job loss in immigrant communities and that driverless vehicles operate on platform that uses a discriminatory algorithm. 

“We’ve seen a frightening trend by robotaxi software to perpetuate racial and other biases,” Kuel said. “Research shows that driverless vehicles are less likely to detect people with darker skin and less likely to recognize children than adult pedestrians. Robotaxis threaten union jobs that provide economic security to thousands of local workers.”

Dozens of ridehail drivers joined the protest, including many longtime drivers like Adama Dukuray who have already seen big tech companies like Uber and Lyft disrupt the industry, a process that led to algorithmic price gouging for consumers, an erosion of worker rights, and poverty pay for drivers.

“Please remember that rideshare drivers like me are members of our local community – working hard every day to support our community and families,” said Dukuray, a rideshare driver for more than 10 years. “By organizing with Drivers Union, we’ve made progress in pushing back on Uber and Lyft to achieve basic protections like a minimum wage, access to benefits like paid sick leave, and legal protections against unfair deactivation. It would be disastrous if another big tech company came into our community, took our jobs, and erased the gains we have won – all while increasing congestion with more unnecessary cars on our streets.”